Andrew Flintoff reminisces on a retired hero:

'My mate Murali'

That was one of several anecdotes Andrew Flintoff had to offer when talking exclusively to the BBC about his friendship with Muttiah Muralitharan, the Sri Lanka spinner who retired from international cricket.

Known to millions as 'Murali', he was born in Kandy in 1972 and made his international debut against Australia in Colombo on August 28, 1992. His professional career began with Tamil Union Cricket but he has also played several seasons in English country cricket for Lancashire (1999, 2001, 2005 and 2007) and Kent (2003). It was at Lancashire that Muralitharan first met Flintoff.

"You probably wouldn't put me and Murali together as mates," said the former England all-rounder, who was forced to retire from the game in September 2010.

"You look at the background, you look at the way we are, everything about us is completely different.

"I'm 6 ft 4 ins to his 5 ft 6 ins, he grew up in Kandy, I grew up in Preston. Personalities, public perception... why we're such good friends, I don't know." But after years of sharing a dressing room, Flintoff speculates that it was a mutual love of cricket and their similar approach to life that brought the pair together.

"He's a bit of a free spirit," Flintoff explained. "He just lets himself go, he enjoys the moment and just gets on with it - and probably I do too." On December 3, 2007 on his home ground in Kandy, Murali made cricket history as he surpassed Shane Warne's record for the most career wickets in Test cricket. Having batted against both of them, Flintoff says it is hard to choose between the duo - but Murali just about gets the nod.

"Because of my relationship with Murali, I think he just edges it over Shane Warne," stated Flintoff. "Murali was full of mystery - I didn't know which way the ball was spinning and he always kept you guessing - whereas Shane would grind you down, he was all over you all the time." But controversy has dogged the Sri Lankan spinner's career, which Flintoff feels is unjust.

"He'd be the first one to prove that his action is fine. He'd volunteer - 'if you want to test me you can test me.' People need to get over it. Doubts were driven by external sources," the Lancastrian said.

Between 1996 and 2004, Bruce Elliott from the School of Human Movement and Exercise Science at the University of Western Australia, Perth, oversaw four rounds of tests on Muralitharan, whose bent-arm bowling action was caused by a deformity from birth.

"He's absolutely been cleared from a scientific point of view, but whether we've been able to convince the general public and selected aspects of the media, that's still a question that someone else should answer," Elliott commented. Elliott said Murali presented himself with a different arm structure to other spin bowlers and Flintoff believes that as a bowler this uniqueness has helped him.

"It's helped him bowl like we've never seen anyone else bowl before him."

However, it is not just Murali's unique action that has secured his place in cricket's record books, with Flintoff pointing to a strong work ethic.

"I think in 10 to 15 years, people will be talking not just about Murali the cricketer but about what he's also done for cricket in general" Flintoff added.

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