I am privileged to have been Murali’s coach - Whatmore

Chris Dhambarage

Former Sri Lanka coach Dav Whatmore paid his highest tribute to the champion off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan who retired from test cricket after the second match of the current series against India at the Galle International Stadium. Whatmore who is currently in Sri Lanka with the Kolkata Knight Riders Academy team believes that Muralitharan’s deeds on the field will remain forever. “I am just so privileged to have been one of his coaches in his long international and illustrious career.

“It’s really given me the opportunity to improve my knowledge in not just spin bowling but in international cricket. It is a privilege to see a champion in action. I am really privileged to be the coach throughout six years with him”.

Whatmore also stated that Muralitharan’s presence alone in the field does make a huge impact on the team whatever the kind of competition he is participating.

“Whichever team Murali plays in and whatever competition he plays in he is an asset.

He is always somebody in the bowling attack which the opposition would think twice about.

He may have not picked up as many wickets as he has in the longer format of the game but the fact that he is there with his potential to pick up a wicket at any time is a great asset”.

Whatmore further noted that Murali was a tremendous inspiration to the side as the team came into the semifinals of the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.

“We were perhaps unlucky not to have gone on but finished as the semifinalists. We let off Symonds when he was batting early on but that kind of things happen.

In that World Cup series we were not batting well at all.

For us to compete so fiercely and finish up as semifinalists were a very good effort given that we were struggling to score enough runs on a consistent basis.

It was the bowling and fielding that really kept us in the game right throughout”.

Whatmore also believes that Muralitharan always bowled with an action which was free of guilt despite the controversy which surrounds the bowler even after his retirement from test cricket.

“I have no problem with his bowling action and I have always said that.

So whatever the controversies that happen it has nothing to do with me as I always believed his action was free of guilt”.

Whatmore added that Muralitharan could still play a leading role for the development of cricket in the country as he will be available for one day cricket and Twenty20 cricket.

“He will be more than willing to come and help out.

There is a World Cup coming up in the future so sure he will keep himself as fit as possible just in case he needs to play”.