Murali has no designs in breaking record in Warne’s backyard
CRICKET: Muttiah Muralitharan insists he has no designs on
breaking Shane Warne’s Test record in his own backyard this summer.
Murali needs nine more wickets to eclipse Warne’s tally of 708 and
become the leading Test wicket-taker of all-time, and the Sri-Lankan
off-spinner could well claim those in Australia during his country’s
two-Test tour in November.
Given Murali’s career has been tarnished by previous visits to
Australia, where his action has persistently been questioned, one might
think he would relish the opportunity of ousting Australia’s
greatest-ever bowler on his home turf.
But the 35-year-old knows it is only a matter of time before he
surpasses Warne and is in no rush to establish his place in history.
“I’m not really focused about that because we’re trying to play well and
win matches there,” he said.
“The wickets are good, bouncy. They’re supposed to favour fast
bowlers but I don’t know if it’ll be too early in November. So maybe, if
I’m lucky, it will spin and I can get some wickets.
“If I get the wickets, then fine, otherwise I can do it in another
series because I want to play another four years of Test cricket for Sri
Lanka so it’ll happen at some moment because I’m just nine wickets
away.”
Murali has painful memories of Australia, not least because he has
taken just eight wickets in his three previous Tests here, which include
the one-off Super Series Test in 2005.
He was no-balled by Australian umpires Darrell Hair and Ross Emerson
during the 1995-96 tour, has frequently been heckled by home fans and
even Prime Minister John Howard labelled him “a chucker”.
Yet the mild-mannered Sri Lankan wants to put all that behind him and
is optimistic of a warm welcome this summer. “Hopefully I’ll get a good
reception,” he said. “Whatever happened has gone now, it’s a new thing,
and hopefully they’ll react in a positive way.
“I haven’t thought about it happening again. I always think positive,
rather than thinking negative.” Warne has been both friend and foe to
Murali during their battle to be crowned ‘king of spin’, and they
renewed acquaintances at Manchester’s Old Trafford ground this week as
Lancashire hosted Hampshire.
It is the first time Murali and Warne have faced each other in a
County Championship match and the first time in a first-class match
since the Third Test in Colombo in March 2004, although they did clash
in a one-day game between the counties in 2005.
This is possibly the last time the two greats will face other and the
spin rivals provided a poignant moment on day three, exchanging the
tricks of their trade as they warmed up for the day’s play.
“He was showing me some balls that he bowls,” said Murali. “I was
just listening and trying to bowl them.” Asked which deliveries they
were, he joked: “I can’t tell you those secrets.”
(Source: Television
New Zealand/AAP) |