Media cannot influence me - Murali

Dilanka MANNAKKARA

“Keeping me out of one match in the Asia Cup tournament was not the reason for me to retire as some prominent private print and electronic media reported, but they can never influence me in my decision making by publishing these kind of bogus stories,” said spin wizard Mutthiah Muralitharan during an exclusive interview conducted by the Daily News.

When the question was posed as to whether he will go in for coaching responded in the negative by saying “I have no plans of going in to coaching as I want to spend more time with my family and manage my family business.” He also added “Sometimes great players are not good coaches and I don’t think that I would become a good coach.”

He also said that “It took a long time for the 800 wicket to come but even if somebody else got the wicket I would have been the happiest person in the world because a win in my farewell Test match was the best present I could ever get.”

When he was asked if he prompted Lasith Malinga to play in the match he said the following,”I spoke to Malinga and told him to play in the match because I knew that he can be devastating against any attack and it would provide us the opportunity of winning the match and thats what exactly happened.”

“Bishen Singh Bedi has criticized my bowling action a lot and I sincerely don’t think that he is such a great bowler because he didn’t have any variations.”

I wish to thank his excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa for naming a stand after me in the Galle Stadium, and I feel so honoured and privileged.