Anti-Murali blitz just beginning

That the tour of the Sri Lankan cricketers for a Two Test series against Australia come November is going to be an acrimonious one there is no doubt.

Setting the stage for such a tour is former Indian left-arm spinner Bishen Singh Bedi.

The centre of attraction will no doubt be Sri Lanka’s champion off spinner Muttiah Muralitheran who is set to go past Australia’s leg spinner Shane Warne who is at the moment the world’s leading bowler with 708 wickets.

Bedi who has always been a virulent critic of Muralitheran opened out again and called Muralitheran names, glaring among them being that he is a monster and a shot-putter in the game.

Now what is intriguing is that Bedi who is now a ‘sleeping beauty’ had to come out of his ageing slumber and take Muralitheran as a bite, probably Bedi would have had one too many, and for no provocation or other lash out at Muralitheran.

One hopes that Bedi has not been rewarded to kick start the anti Murali blitz. Otherwise there is no reason for Bedi to endeavour to hit the spinner underhand for a six.

This is not the first time, and Bedi is not the only one to find flaws in Muralitheran’s action. Former smiling assassin Michael Holding and Australian Prime Minister John Haward among others took Muralitheran to the cleaners.

Till November comes along, there will be many others who will have there say against Muralitheran. Like Bedi who is now a lost case and craving to get in the news, there will be others who would like to join in the controversy and get their names in print.

Muralitheran and his handlers must not go off the tangent and threaten legal action. Bedi or any mother’s son or daughter is free to say what he or she has to. Bedi is only trying to upset or psyche the off spinner.

Barbs such as these should go to inspire and make Muralitheran more determined to do better and then get Bedi to poke his own words down his gullet. And that opportunity will come either in Brisbane or Hobart.

The former lords at Lord’s who were ferreted out of London and are now Sheiks in Dubai have given Muralitheran the all clear to bowl his doosras off spinners, top spinners or bottom spinners at will and as and when he likes.

What matters is what the Sheiks in Dubai think. They see no wrong in his action and have given him the license to do as he wishes. And isn’t that what is needed?

There will be more Bedis, Holdings and Howards sprouting out as November draws near. Our advice to Muralitheran and his handlers is: if they don’t like to read the rubbish, then don’t do so and allow the critics to prove their point and enjoy themselves.

However, the Interim Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket will do well to have a psychologist with the team and Muralitheran on the tour of Australia, because the media in Australia would start a demoralising blitz against the team and especially Muralitheran, who is set to go past Warne’s record in one of the two Test matches.

Amal Silva the great

Everyone should doff their hats to former Peterite, Nondescripts and Sri Lanka cricketer Amal Silva for showing guts, which is sadly lacking in everyday life and cocking a snook at his detractors and refusing to reaccept the offer to serve as a selector in cricket.

Silva who has a century to his credit at the mecca of cricket Lord’s, snubbed those concerned by saying ‘go to hell’ as it were for trying to lure him to hold office again.

Silva has given his detractors a kick up their backside by this great act.

Silva along with Asantha de Mel, Don Arunasiri and Shabir Asgerally had done a wonderful job with their selections and taken the game to a new high.

Instead of being given another innings unanimously, his name was glanced out of the names that were sent to Sports and Recreation Minister Gamini Lokuge to choose a new selection panel.

And as we said last week, Silva was blissfully unaware, other than for reading it in the newspapers, that he has been recalled.

We would like to call what was happening in recent weeks as ‘cricket jokes in Sri Lanka’.

Manilal deserves praise

Manilal Fernando that prince of sports administrators was showered praise by Minister of Sports and Recreation Gamini Lokuge during the foundation stone laying ceremony for the redevelopment of the City Football Ground on Thursday.

Lokuge who was the chief guest gave football a vote of confidence when he said that the Football Federation is going about their business in a very efficient manner and while wishing them more success, he said that Fernando should be the next head of the Asian Football Confederation, which will not only be a great honour to Fernando, but also the game and the country.

Fernando from the time he took to administering the game, which is now nearly four decades has faced times where he has spent his personal funds for the benefit of the player and game.

Fernando realised that if the game is to receive financial benefits then it is paramount that they get a seat in the AFC: Helped by his confidant, the late J.S.N. Anandaraja, not only did he bag a seat as Vice President of the AFC, but went further by being appointed to the Legal Committee of FIFA which positions no other local football administrator had achieved.

Bin Hammam, President AFC and Sepp Blatter the top man in FIFA have implicit faith and trust in Fernando, that he has only to ask and they will deliver with no questions asked.

Not only football, Fernando is ever ready to score for all other sport. But only if asked.