Muttiah Muralitharan
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Muttiah Muralitharan (also spelt as Muralidaran; born 1972), often referred to as Murali, is a former Sri Lankan cricket
er who was rated the greatest Test match
bowler ever by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
in 2002. He retired from Test cricket in 2010, registering his 800th and final wicket on 22 July 2010 from his final ball in his last test match.
Muralitharan is the highest wicket-taker in both Test cricket
and in One Day Internationals (ODIs). He took the wicket of Gautam Gambhir on 2009 in Colombo to surpass Wasim Akram
's ODI record of 502 wickets. Muralitharan became the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket when he overtook the previous record-holder Shane Warne
on 2007. Muralitharan had previously held the record when he surpassed Courtney Walsh
's 519 wickets in 2004, but he suffered a shoulder injury later that year and was then overtaken by Warne.
Averaging over six wickets per Test, Muralitharan was one of the most successful bowlers in the game. Muralitharan held the number one spot in the International Cricket Council’s player rankings for Test bowlers for a record period of 1,711 days spanning 214 Test matches.
He plays domestic cricket for the Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club
and was with the Chennai Super Kings
till the 2010 season of the Indian Premier League
. The Kochi Tuskers Kerala successfully bid for Murali for the 2011 season.
Muralitharan's career has been beset with controversy; his bowling action
called into question on a number of occasions by umpires and sections of the cricket community. After biomechanical analysis under simulated playing conditions, Muralitharan's action was cleared by the International Cricket Council
, first in 1996 and again in 1999. Former Australian Test player, Bruce Yardley, who himself was an off spinner in his day, was assigned with the task of ensuring Muralitharan bowled all his deliveries with the same vigour as he would do so in match conditions when tested in 2004. Muralitharan had not commenced bowling the doosra at this time. The legality of his doosra
was first called into question in 2004. This delivery was found to exceed the ICC elbow extension limit by nine degrees, five degrees being the limit for spinners at that time. Based on official studies into bowling actions, which revealed that 99% of bowlers whose actions were examined exceeded the elbow flexion limits, ICC revised the limits applying to all bowlers in 2005. Muralitharan's doosra falls within the revised limits.
In February 2009, after becoming cricket's highest wicket-taker in both forms of the game Muttiah Muralitharan hinted that he may retire at the conclusion of the 2011 World Cup. He stated "I think I am fit in my body and mind, I am enjoying my cricket and want to play more. But after the next World Cup, I will have nothing left to achieve in the game. The World Cup should mark the end of my career." Muralitharan announced his retirement from Test cricket after the first Test against India at Galle which commenced on 2010. During that match he captured 8 wickets and became the first to reach the milestone of taking 800 Test wickets by dismissing Pragyan Ojha
.
Muralitharan's paternal grandfather Periyasamy Sinasamy came from South India to work in the tea plantations of central Sri Lanka in 1920. Muralitharans belong to the Kongu Vellalar
caste which has majority of people from the north-western part of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Sinasamy later returned to the country of his birth with his daughters and settled in Namakkal, Tamil Nadu
, India. However his sons, including Muralitharan's father Muttiah, remained in Sri Lanka.
Muralitharan was born in the village of Nattarampotha in Kundasale (near Kandy
), the eldest of the four sons to Sinnasamy Muttiah and Lakshmi. Muralitharan's father Sinnasamy Muttiah, runs a successful biscuit-making business.
When he was nine years old Muralitharan was sent to St. Anthony's College, Kandy, a private school run by Benedictine
monks. He began his cricketing career as a medium pace bowler but on the advice of his school coach, Sunil Fernando, he took up off-spin when he was fourteen years old. He soon impressed and went on to play for four years in the school First XI. In those days he played as an all-rounder and batted in the middle order. In his final two seasons at St Anthony's College he took over one hundred wickets and in 1990/1 was named as the 'Bata Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year'.
After leaving school he joined Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club
and was selected for the Sri Lanka A tour of England in 1991. He played in five games but failed to capture a single wicket. On his return to Sri Lanka he impressed against Allan Border
's Australian team in a practice game and then went on to make his Test debut at R. Premadasa Stadium
in the Second Test Match of the series.
When his grandfather died at the age of 104 in July 2004, Muralitharan returned home from a tour of India to attend his funeral. Periyasamy Sinasamy's first wish to see Muralitharan claiming the world record for the most Test wickets was realised (passing the record set by Courtney Walsh
), but not his desire to live to see his grandson married. Muralitharan's grandmother had died one month earlier at the age of 97. Muralitharan's manager, Kushil Gunasekera stated that "Murali's family is closely knit and united. They respect traditional values. The late grandfather enjoyed a great relationship with Murali."
Muralitharan married Madhimalar Ramamurthy, a Chennai
girl, on 2005. Madhimalar is the daughter of late Dr S. Ramamurthy of Malar Hospitals, and his wife Dr Nithya Ramamurthy. Their first child, Naren, was born in January 2006.
Muttiah has announced on the 3 April 2011 that he is retiring from sports all together.
as Muralitharan since the commencement of his career, the cricketer himself prefers to romanise his name as Muralidaran. The different spellings have arisen because the Tamil letter த can be pronounced as both 't' and 'd' depending on its place in a word. It is often transliterated as 'th' to distinguish it from another letter, ட, which is a retroflex 't' or 'd'. In 2007, when Cricket Australia
decided to unveil the new Warne-Muralidaran Trophy
, to be contested between Australia and Sri Lanka, Muralitharan was requested to clarify how his name should be spelt. Cricket Australia spokesman Peter Young confirmed that "the spelling he's given is Muralidaran".
The first day cover involving Muralitharan bears an official seal captioned as "The highest wicket taker in Test cricket, MUTHIAH MURALIDARAN, First Day of Issue 03.12.2007, Camp Post Office, Asgiriya International Cricket Stadium
, Kandy
".
The name Muralitharan means "the bearer of the flute", which is a synonym for Lord Krishna
, a deity in Hinduism
who is said to play upon his bamboo flute while looking after cattle.
in the Premier Trophy
and Central Province in the Provincial Championship. His record has been exceptional – 234 wickets at 14.51 runs in 46 matches.
(1999, 2001, 2005 and 2007) where he appeared in twenty-eight first-class games for the club. He played five first class games for Kent
during the 2003 season. His bowling record in English domestic cricket is also exceptional – 236 wickets at 15.62 runs in 33 matches. Despite his efforts, he has not been on a title winning first-class domestic team in either the Premier Trophy
or the County Championship
. He is unusual amongst the majority of current Test players in that he has played in more Test matches than other first-class games (116 Tests and 99 other first class matches as of 2007).He has been signed by Gloucestershire in 2011 to play in T20 matches.
cricket for the Chennai Super Kings
in the Indian Premier League
(IPL). He was bought for $600,000 by India Cements, the Chennai franchisee of the IPL, through a bidding process. The Chennai Super Kings
were the runners up in the inaugural edition of the IPL, losing to the Rajasthan Royals
in the final. Muralitharan captured 11 wickets in 15 games, at an economy rate of 6.96 an over. In 2010, in the third season of IPL, Muralitharan was part of the Chennai Super Kings
side that won the IPL championship. Muralitharan also remained the side's leading wicket-taker after all the three tournaments.
At the 2011 IPL Player Auctions Muralitharan was brought by Kochi Tuskers Kerala for $1.1 million USD.
Muralitharan, was contracted to represent Bengal
in the 2008–09 Ranji Trophy
tournament. He was expected to play about four matches in the tournament's second division – the Plate League.
Muralitharan is the first wrist-spinning off-spinner in the history of the game.
He bowls marathon spells, yet he is usually on the attack. His unique bowling action begins with an open-chested short run-up, and culminates with an extremely wrist
y release which had him mistaken for a leg-spinner
early in his career by Allan Border
. Aside from his off-break, his main deliveries are a fast topspinner
which goes straight on, and the doosra
, a surprise delivery which turns from leg to off (the opposite direction of his stock delivery) with no easily discernible change of action. His newest variation is a version of Shane Warne's slider, which is flicked out the side of his hand and rushes onto batsmen like a flipper. His super-flexible wrist makes him especially potent and guarantees him turn on any surface.
Since his debut in 1992, Muralitharan has taken 800 Test
wickets and over 500 One Day International wickets, becoming the first player to take 1,000 wickets combined in the two main forms of international cricket.
was his first Test wicket. His freakish action and his angular run-up showed that this was no run-of-the-mill spinner. During his first Test, there was one dismissal which convinced many of Muralitharan's special powers. Tom Moody
's leg-stump was dislodged when he shouldered arms to a delivery that pitched at least two feet outside the off-stump.
The youthful Muralitharan went from strength to strength, playing a major part in Sri Lanka's back-to-back Test victories against England and New Zealand in 1992–93. It was at this point in his career that he struck a close bond with his leader, mentor and one time business partner, the authoritative captain Arjuna Ranatunga
. This relationship formed the bedrock of his success and meant that there were few doubts about his status as the team's sole wicket-taker. Ranatunga was thoroughly convinced that Muralitharan's precocious talent would signal a new era in Sri Lanka's short Test history.
In August 1993 at Moratuwa, Muralitharan captured 5 for 104 in South Africa's first innings, his first five-wicket haul in Tests. His wickets included Kepler Wessels
, Hansie Cronje
and Jonty Rhodes
.
Muralitharan has continued to baffle batsman outside the shores of Sri Lanka, irrespective of the team's performance. In Sri Lanka's humiliating drubbing at the hands of India in 1993–94, where all three Tests were innings defeats, Muralitharan was the sole success, with 12 wickets in the rubber. His perseverance in the face of some astronomical scores by the fearsome quartet of Mohammed Azharuddin, Sachin Tendulkar
, Navjot Sidhu and Vinod Kambli
was in sharp contrast to the submission with which his team-mates played the series.
It was in New Zealand in March 1995 that Muralitharan displayed his qualities as a match-winner on any surface. In Sri Lanka's first triumph on foreign soil, Muralitharan confused the crease-bound New Zealanders on a grassy pitch in Dunedin. The Sri Lankan manager Duleep Mendis
' claim that Muralitharan can turn the ball on concrete was confirmed. On the eve of his tour of Pakistan later that year, doubts were cast on his ability to trouble subcontinental batsmen. By taking 19 wickets in the series and delivering a historic 2–1 victory, the off-spinner silenced the doubters. The Pakistanis, who had negotiated Warne's leg-breaks in the previous home series, were never at ease against him.
Prior to the eventful Boxing Day Test of 1995, Muralitharan had captured 80 wickets in 22 Tests at an unflattering average of 32.74. Even at that point in his career he was the leading wicket taker for Sri Lanka having gone past Rumesh Ratnayake
's aggregate of 73 wickets.
on Boxing Day 1995, Australian umpire Darrell Hair
called Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing in front of a crowd of 55,239. The off-spinner was no-balled seven times in three overs by Hair, who believed the then 23 year old was bending his arm and straightening it in the process of delivery; an illegal action in cricket.
The drama unfolded midway through the second session of play. Muralitharan had bowled two overs before lunch from umpire Steve Dunne's or the Members' End of the ground with umpire Hair at square leg and these passed without incident. At he took up the attack from umpire Hair's or the southern end. Muralitharan's third over was a maiden with all deliveries again passed as legitimate but in his fourth Hair no-balled him twice for throwing on the fourth and sixth balls. The umpire continued to call him three times in his fifth over on the second, fourth and sixth balls. While the bowler stood with his hands on his hips perplexed, the five calls provoked an immediate response by the Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga
who left the field at in order to take advice from his team management. He returned at and continued with Muralitharan who was called two more times in his sixth over on the second and sixth balls. At Ranatunga removed the bowler from the attack, although he reintroduced him at at umpire Dunne's end. Although Hair reports in his book, "Decision Maker", that at the end of the tea break he stated that he would call Muralitharan no matter which end he bowled he did not do so. Muralitharan completed another twelve overs without further no-balls and, after bowling Mark Waugh, finished the day with figures of 18–3–58–1.
The controversy bubbled on during the two-day long Australian innings. After being no-balled Muralitharan bowled a further 32 overs from umpire Steve Dunne's end without protest from either Dunne or Hair, at square leg. The Sri Lankan camp was outraged after the incident, but the ICC
leapt to Hair's defence, outlining a list of steps they had taken in the past to determine, without result, the legitimacy of Muralitharan's action. By calling Muralitharan from the bowlers' end Hair overrode what is normally regarded as the authority of the square leg umpire in adjudicating on throwing. Dunne would have had to break convention to support his partner.
At the end of the match the Sri Lankans requested from the ICC permission to confer with Hair in order to find out exactly how to remedy the problem with their bowler. Despite the game's controlling body agreeing to it, the Australian Cricket Board vetoed it on the grounds that it might lead to umpires being quizzed by teams after every game and meant that the throwing controversy would continue into the World Series Cup
during the coming week. The Sri Lankans were disappointed they did not get an explanation and decided they would continue playing their bowler in matches not umpired by Hair and wanted to know whether other umpires would support or reject Hair's judgement.
Muralitharan's action was cleared by the ICC after biomechanical analysis at the University of Western Australia and at the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology in 1996. They concluded that his action created the 'optical illusion of throwing'.
in the second innings of the Hamilton Test.
In January 1998, Muralitharan took his first ten-wicket haul against Zimbabwe in the first Test at Kandy. Sri Lanka won by eight wickets and Muralitharan had figures of 12 for 117.
In August that same year Muralitharan produces his career-best Test match figures of 16 for 220, in the one-off Test against England. In England's second innings Muralitharan bowled a marathon 54.2 overs to pick up 9 for 65 runs, the other wicket being a run out. Ben Hollioake
becomes his 200th Test wicket. Sri Lanka won by ten wickets, their first Test victory in England. After breaking the world record for the most Test wickets in 2007, Muralitharan commented that his 1998 performance at the Oval against England, was his career highlight. He stated "Everyone thought I was a good bowler then and I didn't look back from there."
Playing his 58th Test, Muralitharan claimed his 300th Test wicket when he dismissed Shaun Pollock in the first Test in Durban, in December 2000. Only Dennis Lillee
reached the milestone faster, in his 56th Test.
On 4 January 2002 in Kandy Muralitharan might have finished with the best-ever figures for a single innings, but after he had claimed nine wickets against Zimbabwe Russel Arnold
dropped a catch at short leg.
He missed out on the tenth when Chaminda Vaas
dismissed Henry Olonga
caught behind amid stifled appeals. Muralitharan follows up his 9 for 51 in the first innings with 4 for 64 in the second, equalling Richard Hadlee
's record of 10 ten-wicket match hauls, but needing 15 fewer Tests to do so.
On 15 January 2002 playing in his 72nd Test, Muralitharan became the fastest to reach the 400-wicket landmark when he bowled Olonga in the third Test in Galle.
On 16 March 2004 Muralitharan became the fastest and the youngest bowler to reach 500 wickets during the second Test between Sri Lanka and Australia played in Kandy. In his 87th Test, he bowled Kasprowicz to claim his 500th victim just four days after Warne reached the landmark on the fifth day of the first Test between the two teams at Galle. Warne took 108 Tests to reach 500. Muralitharan took 4–48 on the first day of the second Test as Australia were skittled for 120 in the first innings.
In May 2004, Muralitharan overtook West Indian Courtney Walsh
's record of 519 Test match
wickets to become the highest wicket-taker. Zimbabwe's Mluleki Nkala
becomes Muralitharan's 520th scalp in Tests. Muralitharan held the record until Shane Warne
claimed it in October 2004. Warne surpassed Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan's mark of 532 wickets by dismissing India's Irfan Pathan
. Warne said he enjoyed his duel with Muralitharan, who was sidelined following shoulder surgery at the time.
After an outstanding year Muralitharan was adjudged as the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World
in 2006. In six Tests, he took 60 wickets. He took ten in each of four successive matches, the second time he has performed such a feat. The opponents for his 60-wicket haul were England away, South Africa at home and New Zealand away: serious opposition. In all, Muralitharan took 90 wickets in 11 Tests in the calendar year.
In July 2007, Muttiah Muralitharan become the second bowler after Australia's Shane Warne to capture 700 Test wickets. The off-spinner reached the landmark when he had Bangladesh's last man Syed Rasel
caught in the deep by Farveez Maharoof
on the fourth day of the third and final Test at the Asgiriya stadium in Kandy. The dismissal signalled Sri Lanka's victory by an innings and 193 runs to give the host a 3–0 sweep of the series. Muralitharan finished with six wickets in each innings to claim 10 wickets or more in a Test for the 20th time. However, he was unable to pass Warne
's record of 708 wickets when Sri Lanka toured Australia in November 2007, capturing just four wickets in two Test matches.
Muralitharan reclaimed the record for most Test wickets during the first Test against England at Kandy
on 2007. The spinner bowled England's Paul Collingwood
to claim his 709th Test victim and overtaking Shane Warne
in the process. Muralitharan reached the mark in his 116th Test – 29 fewer than Warne – and had conceded only 21.77 runs per wicket compared to the Australian's 25.41. This was Muralitharan's 61st 5-wicket haul. Warne believed that Muralitharan would take "1,000 wickets" before he retired. Former record holder Courtney Walsh
also opined that this would be possible if Muralitharan retained his hunger for wickets. Muralitharan himself believed there was a possibility that he would reach this milestone.
stopped India's strong batting as Sri Lanka won the first Test by a record innings and 239 runs in Colombo. Muralitharan finished the match with 11 wickets for 110, as India were shot out for 138 in their second innings after conceding a lead of 377 on the fourth day. He was well supported by debutant Ajantha Mendis
, an unorthodox spinner with plenty of variation, who took eight wickets in his debut match.
Muralitharan believed the emergence of Mendis would help prolong his own career. Muralitharan, 36, and 23-year-old Mendis formed a formidable partnership in the first Test thrashing of India, taking 19 of the 20 wickets between them. "If he keeps performing this way, he will definitely take a lot of wickets in international cricket. Now that he has come, I think I can play Test cricket a few more years. Bowling 50 overs in a Test innings is very hard. Now if I bowl only 30–35 and he bowls more than me, the job will get easier for me."
In July 2007, Muralitharan achieved a career peak Test Bowling Rating of 920, based on the LG ICC Player Rankings. This is the highest ever rating achieved by a spin bowler in Test cricket. This also puts him in fourth place in the LG ICC Best-Ever Test bowling ratings.
Muralitharan has the unique distinction of getting 10 or more wickets in a match against all other nine Test playing nations as well as capturing over 50 wickets against each of them. He has also obtained 7 or more wickets in an innings against five nations, namely England, India, South Africa
, West Indies and Zimbabwe
(refer to table above). Muttiah Muralitharan also took at least five five-fors against all the other nine Test sides.The only country in which he failed to take a five-for was Australia, where his best innings analysis in five Tests was 3 for 55.
He currently holds the highest wickets/match ratio (6.1) for any bowler with over 200 Test
wickets and has also represented Sri Lanka in 118 Tests of the 175 that they have played (67.4%).
Against teams excluding Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, Muralitharan took 624 wickets in 108 Tests. By comparison, excluding his matches against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, Warne took 691 wickets in 142 tests. Murali's average of 24.05 is slightly superior to Warne's career average of 25.41. Muralitharan won 18 Man of the Match awards in Test cricket.
During Muralitharan's playing days, the ICC Future Tours Programme denied Sri Lanka and several other teams a level playing field. As a consequence Muralitharan never toured South Africa after December 2002 and never playing a Test at the spin-friendly Sydney Cricket Ground.
Another comparison of Muralitharan's bowling record against other successful international bowlers is their career record away from home. Muralitharan has received criticism that he has enjoyed great success on home soil, taking wickets on pitches that are more spin-friendly than other international pitches. A quick analysis of his Test record of matches played outside Sri Lanka shows that from 52 matches he has taken 278 wickets at an average of 26.24 runs per wicket, with a strike rate of 60.1 balls per wicket. Similarly, spin bowling rival Shane Warne retired with a slightly superior 'away' record of 362 wickets from 73 matches, at an average of 25.50 and a strike rate of 56.7. Due to the variabilities of Test cricket such as grounds played at and opposition played against it is difficult to compare the quality of the top level players and, as such, is very difficult and subjective. However it is clear that Muralitharan did much better playing at home to test minnows Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, averaging less than 16 runs a wicket.
Cricinfo's statistics editor S Rajesh concluded that the decade 2000–2009 was the best 10-year period for Test batsmen since the 1940s. Muralitharan was clearly the leading Test wicket-taker during this period, capturing 565 wickets at 20.97 in spite of the dominance of the bat over ball. Shane Warne captured 357 wickets at an average of 25.17 during the decade. Of spinners with over Test 100 wickets only John Briggs (17.75), Jim Laker (21.24), Bill O Reilly (22.59) and Clarrie Grimmett (24.21) have sub 25.00 bowling averages.
Muralitharan was on the winning side on 54 of the 133 test matches he played. In those games he captured a total of 438 wickets (8.1 wickets per match), at an outstanding average of 16.18 per wicket and a strike rate of 42.7.
Muralitharan took 795 wickets for his country Sri Lanka in 132 tests. The next most wickets for Sri Lanka in these 132 Tests was Chaminda Vaas
' 309 - less than 40% of the spinner's pile. No one else managed 100. Collectively Sri Lankan bowlers tallied 1968 wickets across that span, of which Muralitharan accounted for 40.4%. Among the 24 other Sri Lankans who took more than 10 of those wickets, only Lasith Malinga did so at a better strike rate (52.3) than Muralitharan's 54.9 - and the latter bowled rather more overs, 6657.1 of them to be precise.
who is in second place has performed the feat 37 times.
On 27 October 2000 in Sharjah, Muralitharan captured 7 for 30 against India, which were then the best bowling figures in One Day Internationals.
In 9 April 2002 Muralitharan achieved a career peak ODI Bowling Rating of 913, based on the LG ICC Player Rankings. This is the highest ever rating achieved by a spin bowler in One Day Internationals. This also puts him in fourth place in the LG ICC Best-Ever ODI bowling ratings.
In 2006, Muralitharan had the second (now third) highest number of runs (99) hit off him in a One Day International Innings. The Australians, especially Adam Gilchrist, attacked Muralitharan's bowling more than usual that day. It is also to be noted that Muralitharan does not have a great record against the Australians in ODIs and this was proved again as he was ineffective in the finals of the 2007 World Cup; his chief tormentor again being Gilchrist.
Muralitharan has played in four Cricket World Cup
tournaments, in 1996, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011. He has captured 67 World Cup wickets and is second in the list behind Glenn McGrath who has 71, and has represented Sri Lanka in three World Cup finals. In 1996 Muralitharan was part Sri Lanka's World Cup winning team that defeated Australia in Lahore
, Pakistan
. Muralitharan also played in the 2007 World Cup final, when Australia defeated Sri Lanka in Bridgetown
, Barbados
. He picked up 23 wickets in the 2007 World Cup, and finished as the second highest wicket taker in the tournament behind Glenn McGrath
. He was part of the 2011 team who lost the world cup final against India in Mumbai. It was his farewell match as well.
Muttiah Muralitharan was left out of the Sri Lankan one-day squad to tour West Indies in April 2008. The chairman of selectors Ashantha De Mel
clarifying the non-selection stated that "We know he (Muralitharan) can still play in the next World Cup if he is properly looked after, so we want to use him sparingly to preserve him for the big games and the World Cup coming up in the Asian sub-continent where Muralitharan will be a threat."
Muralitharan has the highest number of career wickets in One Day Internationals, having overtaken Wasim Akram
on 2009. Akram took 502 wickets in 356 matches. On 2009, Muralitharan dismissed Yuvraj Singh
in his 327th match, the third ODI against India in Colombo
to equal Akram
's record. He has won 13 Man of the Match awards in this form of the game.
, who had just scored a single to reach his century; the New Zealand fielder had not yet returned the ball to the wicketkeeper, so the ball was still in play. His highest Test score of 67 came against India at Kandy in 2001, including three sixes and five fours. He has made valuable scores on occasion, including 30 runs against England at the Oval in 1998, including 5 fours, 38 runs (4 fours, 1 six) against England at Galle in 2003, 43 runs (5 fours, 3 sixes) against Australia at Kandy in 2004 36 runs against the West Indies at Colombo in 2005, and his highest-ever ODI score, 33 not out
(4 fours and 2 sixes off 16 balls) against Bangladesh in the final of the 2009 Tri-Series in Bangladesh. In the latter match, Muralitharan's effort, which included three fours and a six off one over, played a key role in Sri Lanka winning the match and series after the first eight overs saw them reduced to 6 for 5, the lowest score ever recorded in an ODI at the fall of the fifth wicket. Muralitharan has a strike rate close to 70 in Test cricket and has scored over 55% of his Test runs in fours and sixes.
Muralitharan, together with Chaminda Vaas
, holds the record for the highest 10th wicket partnership in Tests for Sri Lanka. The pair put on 79 runs for the last wicket at the Asgiriya Stadium
against Australia in March 2004. Muralitharan also holds the record for scoring most runs in Test cricket while batting at the number 11 position.
Muralitharan currently holds the record for the most ducks
(dismissals for zero) ever in international cricket (Tests, ODI's and Twenty20), with a total of 59 ducks.
Muralitharan has voiced his frustration at routinely being heckled by Australian crowds who accuse him of throwing – one common jeer directed at him was "No Ball!". Following the then Australian Prime Minister John Howard
's statement that Muralitharan was a "chucker",
in 2004, Muralitharan indicated that he would skip future tours to Australia.
Tom Moody
, the former Sri Lanka coach and former Australian Test cricketer, said he was embarrassed by the derogatory reaction and negative attention directed towards Muttiah Muralitharan by Australian crowds. Moody stated that "As an Australian when I have been with the Sri Lankan team in Australia, or playing against them in the World Cup, it's the only situation we find in the whole of the cricketing world where we have this disgraceful slant on a cricketer".
During the 2008 CB series in Australia, some members of the Sri Lankan contingent including Muralitharan, were the target of an egg throwing incident in Hobart
. The Sri Lankan cricket selector Don Anurasiri
was hit by an egg, while Muralitharan and two others were verbally abused by a car-load of people as they were walking from a restaurant back to the hotel.
Due to the incident taking place at night, it is unclear whether Muralitharan was indeed the target of the culprits. Even though the Australian coach of the Sri Lankan team, Trevor Bayliss
, down-played the incident as "a non-event", Cricket Australia tightened security around the team. In response to this episode Muralitharan was quoted as saying "When you come to Australia, you expect such incidents".
At the conclusion of Muralitharan's test career cricket writer Rahul Bhattacharya summed up Muralitharan's trials thus:
"Murali is described often as a fox. This seems right. Unlike hedgehog bowlers who pursue one big idea, Murali, like a fox, had many ways of pursuit. Like a fox he did not hunt in a pack. Like a fox he was himself cruelly hunted for sport in some parts of the world. Fox hunting was banned a few years ago in England, but is still legal in Australia."
At the start of his last match
, Muralitharan was eight short of 800 wickets. At the fall of the ninth wicket of the Indian's second innings Muralitharan still needed one wicket to reach the milestone. After 90 minutes of resistance Muralitharan was able to dismiss the last Indian batsman Pragyan Ojha
on the last delivery of the over and his Test career. By doing so he became the first bowler to reach 800 wickets in Test cricket
. Sri Lanka won the match by 10 wickets, the seventh time they have done so and the second time they have done it against India.
Muralitharan formally announced his retirement from international cricket after 2011 Cricket World Cup co-hosted by Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka announcing "This World Cup will be my last outing. I am retiring totally from international cricket thereafter. My time is up. I've signed up to play for two years in IPL.
carried out a statistical analysis of all Test matches in an effort to rate the greatest cricketers in history, and Muralitharan was ranked as the best Test bowler of all time. However, two years earlier, Muralitharan was not named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century
. Former Australian captain Steve Waugh
called him "the Don Bradman of bowling".
Muralitharan was selected as the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World
in 2000 and in 2006.
On 15 November 2007, the Warne-Muralidaran Trophy was unveiled named after the two leading wicket-takers in Test cricket, Shane Warne and Muralitharan. The trophy displays images of the two spin bowlers' hands each holding a cricket ball. This trophy will be contested between Australia and Sri Lanka in all future Test series.
On 3 December 2007, just hours after Muttiah Muralitharan became Test cricket's leading Test wicket-taker, Marylebone Cricket Club
(MCC) announced it had unveiled a portrait of the Sri Lanka off-spinner at Lord's
. On the same day the Philatelic Bureau of the Department of Posts in Sri Lanka issued a circular stamp with a denomination of Rs. 5 to mark the world record set by Muttiah Muralitharan. The circular design was meant to denote the cricket ball.
Australian musician Alston Koch provoked worldwide interest when he recorded the only official tribute song to Muralitharan, the song was even mentioned on the BBC's Test Match Special. The Muralitharan Song video was also released after he broke the world record.
On 10 January 2008, the Parliament of Sri Lanka
felicitated Muttiah Muralitharan for his world record breaking feat of being the highest wicket taker in Test cricket.
This is the first time that a sportsman has been honoured in the country's Supreme Legislature.
The Central Provincial Council in Kandy
has decided to rename the International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele
after Muttiah Muralitharan.
by the straightening of his bowling arm during delivery
. Although he has been cited three times, subsequent biomechanical testing led the ICC to clear him of the charge and permit him to continue bowling.
Biomechanical testing conducted on four occasions has fueled debate as to whether his action is in fact illegal or actually an illusion created by his allegedly unique ability to generate extra movement both at the shoulder as well the wrist enables him to bowl the doosra without straightening the elbow.
by straightening his bowling arm during delivery
broke into open controversy after Australian umpire
Darrell Hair
called a "no ball
" for an illegal action seven times during the Boxing Day
Test match in Melbourne
, Australia, in 1995. Australian Sir Donald Bradman
, universally regarded as the greatest batsman in history, was later quoted as saying it was the "worst example of umpiring that [he had] witnessed, and against everything the game stands for. Clearly Murali does not throw the ball".
Ten days later, on 5 January 1996, Sri Lanka played the West Indies in the seventh ODI of the triangular World Series competition, in Brisbane. Umpire Ross Emerson
officiating in his debut international match, no-balled Muralitharan three times in his first over, twice in his second and twice in his third. It was an identical tally to that called by Hair on Boxing Day and (like Hair) Emerson made his calls from the bowler's end while his partner stood silent. The main difference was that several no-balls were for leg-breaks instead of the bowler's normal off-breaks.
In February 1996, just before the world cup Muralitharan underwent biomechanical analysis at the Hong Kong
University of Science and Technology under the supervision of Prof. Ravindra Goonetilleke, who declared his action legal in the conditions tested, citing a congenital defect in Muralitharan's arm which makes him incapable of fully straightening it, but giving the appearance of fully straightening the arm. Although under the original Laws a bowler's arm did not need to be fully straightened to be in breach of a legal delivery. They concluded that his action created the 'optical illusion of throwing'. Based on this evidence ICC gave clearance to Muralitharan to continue bowling.
in Australia. The Sri Lankan team almost abandoned the match, but after instructions from the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka, the game resumed. The Sri Lankan captain at the time Arjuna Ranatunga
, was later fined and given a suspended ban from the game as a result. It later emerged that at the time of this match Emerson was on sick leave from his non-cricket job due to a stress-related illness and he stood down for the rest of the series. Muralitharan was sent for further tests in Perth and England and was cleared again. At no stage was Muralitharan requested to change or remodel his action, by the ICC. Up to this point in his career (1999) Muralitharan primarily bowled two types of deliveries, namely the off-break and the topspinner
. He had not yet mastered the doosra.
delivery was officially called into question by match referee Chris Broad
. At the University of Western Australia
(Department of Human Movement and Exercise Science), three-dimensional kinematic measurements of Muttiah Muralitharan's bowling arm were taken using an optical motion capture system while he bowled his doosra. Muralitharan's mean elbow extension angle for the doosra delivery was 14°, which was subsequently reduced to a mean of 10.2° after remedial training at the University. The findings reported to ICC by the University of Western Australia
's study was that Muralitharan's doosra contravened the established ICC elbow extension limit of 5° for spinners.
Under the original throwing Laws of Cricket, the umpires officiating were under an obligation to call "no-ball" to a delivery that they were not entirely happy was absolutely fair. This Law gave the umpires absolutely no discretion. In 2000, the Laws were changed to put an allowable figure of straightening of 5° for spinners, 7.5° for medium pacers and 10° for fast bowlers in an attempt to more clearly define what was legal. But these figures proved difficult to enforce due to umpires being unable to discern actual amounts of straightening and the differentiation between the three different allowable figures. Testing in Test Match conditions is not currently possible "when the identification of elbow and shoulder joint centres in on-field data collection, where a shirt is worn, also involves large errors. In a match the ability to differentiate anatomical movements such as 'elbow extension' by digitising segment end-points, particularly if you have segment rotations, is extremely difficult and prone to error. This is certainly the case with spin bowlers. It is therefore not surprising that laboratory testing is preferred, particularly for spin bowlers, where an appropriate pitch length and run-up can be structured. This is clearly the only way to test players, where data would be able to withstand scientific and therefore legal scrutiny."
An extensive ICC study, the results of which were released in November 2004, was conducted to investigate the "chucking issue". A laboratory kinematic analysis of 42 non-Test playing bowlers done by Ferdinands and Kersting (2004) established that the 5° limit for slow and spin bowlers was particularly impractical.
Due to the overwhelming scientific findings, researchers recommended that a flat rate of 15° tolerable elbow extension be used to define a preliminary demarcation point between bowling and throwing. A panel of former Test players consisting of Aravinda de Silva
, Angus Fraser
, Michael Holding
, Tony Lewis
, Tim May
and the ICC's Dave Richardson, with the assistance of several biomechanical experts, stated that 99% of all bowlers in the history of cricket straighten their arms when bowling. Only one player tested (part-time bowler Ramnaresh Sarwan
) reportedly did not transgress the pre 2000 rules. Many of these reports have controversially not been published and as such, the 99% figure stated has yet to be proved. In fact, Muralitharan stirred up controversy when he said during an interview with a Melbourne radio station that Jason Gillespie
, Glenn McGrath
and Brett Lee
flexed their arms by 12, 13 and 14–15 degrees respectively, although it is unclear as to where Muralitharan quoted these figures from. Muralitharan was censured by the Sri Lankan Cricket Board for these comments.
The ICC Executive was asked to ratify the panel's recommendations at the ICC's Annual General Meeting in February 2005. Based on the recommendations the ICC issued a new guideline (which was effective from 2005) allowing for extensions or hyperextensions of up to 15 degrees for all types of bowlers, thus deeming Muralitharan's doosra to be legal.
Explaining why the maximum level of 15 degrees was arrived at, panel member Angus Fraser
stated "That is the number which biomechanics
says that it (straightening) becomes visible. It is difficult for the naked eye to see less than 15 degrees in a bowler's action. We found when the biceps reached the shoulder the amount of bend was around 165 degrees. Very few bowlers can get to 180 degrees because the joint doesn't allow that. ... but once you go further than 15 degrees you get into an area which is starting to give you an unfair advantage and you are breaking the law".
conducted an independent research, in line with modern Artificial Intelligence
and biomechanics
in order to solve the controversial issue arise from doosra. The University of South Australia
's study, founded by Prof. Mahinda Pathegama, and contributed by Prof. Ozdemir Gol, Prof. J. Mazumdar, Prof. Tony Worsley and Prof. Lakmi Jain has analyzed the previous studies with close scrutiny since the techniques in their fields of expertise are employed in the course of assessment as the basis for decision-making. The findings based on this scientific study are overwhelming and Dave Richardson, General Manager ICC stated that the ICC is currently reviewing the Law on throwing and the ICC regulations and the study done by Prof. Mahinda Pathegama with UniSA scientists is a valuable source of information in this regard. The team of Australian scientists including Sri Lankan-born Australian scientist, Prof. Mahinda Pathegama reporting their findings, in line with the Muralitharan test to ICC, has analyzed in-depth various issues, such as Pitfalls in image interpretation when using 2D images for 3D modeling associates compared to the modern techniques in Artificial Intelligence
and biomechanics
, and Biomechanics
assessment for doosra bowling action, etc. Pathegama at al. (2004) further reports on the Disagreement of expression on measurement accuracy in the Murali Report, with the analysis of the Motion tracking system used for the Murali Report, and discussing Cognitive aspects, Evidence of errors in Anthropometric assessment and movement tracking, Lateral inhibition in response tracking, Psycho-physiological aspect on post-assessments, Angular measurement errors, Skin marker induced errors, Geometrics-and physics-based 3D modeling and the Approach to on-field assessment, etc.
The Muralitharan Report produced by the University of Western Australia's study has considered the Richards study done in 1999 to evaluate the error margin. University of South Australia
's study done by Prof. Mahinda Pathegama argued that the Richards study which was presented by the University of Western Australia's study has used a rigid aluminium bar that only rotated in the horizontal plane to introduce such error margin. Pathegama's report stated that "in view of the system used in the test itself yielding considerable error even with a rigid aluminum bar (an accuracy level of approximately 4 degrees as stated in the Murali Report), it stands to reason that the error margin would be considerably larger when tracking skin markers on a spin bowler's moving upper limb by this same system".
Vincent Barnes in an interview argues that Bruce Elliott, the UWA professor who is also the ICC biomechanist, had made an interesting discovery in his dealings with finger spinners. "He said he had found that a lot of bowlers from the subcontinent could bowl the doosra legally, but not Caucasian bowlers."
during the Test against England on 2004. The documentary is not available for purchase and has not been aired in Australia.
Initially, Muralitharan bowled three balls – the off-spinner, the top-spinner and the doosra – as he would in a match. Then he bowled the same three balls with a brace that is made from steel bars, which are set into strong resin. This brace has been moulded to his right arm, is approximately 46 centimetres long and weighs just under 1 kilogram.
TV presenter Mark Nicholas
who tried the brace himself, confirmed that "There is no way an arm can be bent, or flexed, when it is in this brace." All three balls reacted in the same way as when bowled without the brace. They were not bowled quite so fast because the weight of the brace restricts the speed of Muralitharan's shoulder rotation, but the spin was still there.
With the brace on, there still appeared to be a jerk in his action. When studying the film at varying speeds, it still appeared as if he straightened his arm, even though the brace makes it impossible to do so. His unique shoulder rotation and amazing wrist action seem to create the illusion that he straightens his arm.
The off-spinner said the exercise was to convince a sceptical public rather than sway an ICC investigation into bowling actions launched after he was reported by match referee Chris Broad
for his doosra delivery in March 2004, the third time action has been taken on his bowling. In an interview for August 2004 edition of Wisden Asia Cricket
, Muralitharan stated "I think it will prove a point to those who had said that it was physically impossible to bowl a ball that turned the other way. I proved that it was possible to bowl the doosra without bending the arm."
In 2004 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Muralitharan voluntarily performed a series of tests with live video cameras. Michael Slater
and Ravi Shastri
witnessed it all unfold. Muralitharan once again showed he could bowl all his deliveries including the doosra with an arm brace that prevents any straightening of his elbow. Orthopediatrician Dr Mandeep Dillon stated that Muralitharan's unusual ability to generate extra movement both at the shoulder as well the wrist enables him to bowl the doosra without straightening the elbow.
and Bishan Bedi, the former Indian captain. Dean Jones later admitted to being wrong in his assessment of Murali when he witnessed first hand Murali bowling with an arm-brace on.
Michael Holding
, the former West Indian fast bowler was also a critic of Muralitharan, but withdrew his criticisms under the light of the tests carried out. Holding had been quoted as being in "110% agreement" with Bedi, who likened Murali's action to a "javelin throw" and more recently, compared to a "shot putter". Following the ICC study, as a member of the panel that conducted the study, Holding stated, "The scientific evidence is overwhelming ... When bowlers who to the naked eye look to have pure actions are thoroughly analysed with the sophisticated technology now in place, they are likely to be shown as straightening their arm by 11 and in some cases 12 degrees. Under a strict interpretation of the Law, these players are breaking the rules. The game needs to deal with this reality and make its judgment as to how it accommodates this fact."
In May 2002, Adam Gilchrist
, speaking at a Carlton (Australian) Football Club luncheon, claimed Muralitharan's action does not comply with the Laws of cricket. The Melbourne-based Age newspaper quoted Gilchrist as saying."Yeah, I think he does (chuck), and I say that because, if you read the Laws of the game, there's no doubt in my mind that he and many others, throughout cricket history have." These comments were made before the doosra controversy, in spite of Muralitharan's action having been cleared by ICC in both 1996 and 1999. For his comment Gilchrist was reprimanded by the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) and found guilty of being in breach of ACB rules concerned with "detrimental public comment".
During the 2006 tour of New Zealand
another Muralitharan critic, former New Zealand captain and cricket commentator Martin Crowe
, called for Muralitharan's doosra to be monitored more closely, asserting that his action seemed to deteriorate during a match. Earlier that year when delivering the Cowdrey lecture at Lords Martin Crowe
had demanded zero tolerance instead of 15 degrees for throwing and specifically branded Muttiah Muralitharan a chucker. In response to Crowe's criticism ICC general manager Dave Richardson stated that the scientific evidence presented by biomechanists Professor Bruce Elliot, Dr Paul Hurrion and Mr Marc Portuswith was overwhelming and clarified that "Some bowlers, even those not suspected of having flawed actions, were found likely to be straightening their arms by 11 or 12 degrees. And at the same time, some bowlers that may appear to be throwing may be hyper-extending or bowl with permanently bent elbows. Under a strict interpretation of the law, they were breaking the rules – but if we ruled out every bowler that did that then there would be no bowlers left."
The key publications are listed below:
donated a swimming pool.
Muralitharan also plans to build a second sports complex for war-displaced civilians in Mankulam, a town located 300 kilometers from north of Colombo. The two-year one million dollar project aims to build a sports center, a school, English and IT training centers and an Elders' home. While the Sports Complex remains the main project, Foundation of Goodness also plans to help educate children, youth and adults. English cricketer Sir Ian Botham
visited Mankulam with Muralitharan, and later addressing the media in Colombo on 27 March 2011 said that he will consider a walk from Point Pedro
(the extreme northern tip of Sri Lanka) to Dondra Head
(the extreme southern tip of Sri Lanka) to raise funds for the project.
In June 2004, Muralitharan also joined the United Nations
World Food Program as an ambassador to fight hunger among school children.
When the tsunami
devastated Sri Lanka on 2004, Muralitharan galvanised into action to ensure that aid reached people that needed it. He himself narrowly escaped death, arriving 20 minutes late at Seenigama, where he was to give away prizes at one of the charity projects he worked on. While international agencies were bringing food in by air, there was an urgent need for transport, and Murali organised three convoys of 10 trucks each, paying for these himself, to get the food to people who needed it. He persuaded those who could to donate clothes, and supervised the delivery himself.
During the hard work of rehabilitation in the tsunami's aftermath, cement was in short supply. Muralitharan promptly signed an endorsement deal with Lafarge, a global cement giant, that was a straight barter, where cement would be supplied to the Foundation for Goodness in exchange for work Muralitharan did. During the first three years since the tsunami, the foundation raised more than US$ to help survivors, and has built homes, schools, sports facilities and computer centres.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who was rated the greatest Test match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
bowler ever by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
in 2002. He retired from Test cricket in 2010, registering his 800th and final wicket on 22 July 2010 from his final ball in his last test match.
Muralitharan is the highest wicket-taker in both Test cricket
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
and in One Day Internationals (ODIs). He took the wicket of Gautam Gambhir on 2009 in Colombo to surpass Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram is a former Pakistani left arm fast bowler and left-handed batsman in cricketer and model. who represented the Pakistan national cricket team in Test cricket and One Day International matches....
's ODI record of 502 wickets. Muralitharan became the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket when he overtook the previous record-holder Shane Warne
Shane Warne
Shane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet...
on 2007. Muralitharan had previously held the record when he surpassed Courtney Walsh
Courtney Walsh
Courtney Andrew Walsh is a former international cricketer who represented the West Indies from 1984 to 2001, captaining the West Indies in 22 Test matches...
's 519 wickets in 2004, but he suffered a shoulder injury later that year and was then overtaken by Warne.
Averaging over six wickets per Test, Muralitharan was one of the most successful bowlers in the game. Muralitharan held the number one spot in the International Cricket Council’s player rankings for Test bowlers for a record period of 1,711 days spanning 214 Test matches.
He plays domestic cricket for the Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club
Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club
Tamil Union Cricket & Athletic Club is a first-class cricket team based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. They play their home games at P. Saravanamuttu Stadium.-Current squad:Players who represented the club during the 2008-09 Premier Championship....
and was with the Chennai Super Kings
Chennai Super Kings
Chennai Super Kings is a franchise cricket team based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu that plays in the Indian Premier League. Founded in 2008, the team is currently captained by Mahendra Singh Dhoni and coached by Stephen Fleming, a former New Zealand cricketer. The team's home ground is the M. A...
till the 2010 season of the Indian Premier League
Indian Premier League
The Indian Premier League is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner...
. The Kochi Tuskers Kerala successfully bid for Murali for the 2011 season.
Muralitharan's career has been beset with controversy; his bowling action
Bowling action
In the sport of cricket, the bowling action is the set of movements that result in the bowler releasing the ball in the general direction of the batsman.The bowling action can be broken down into a number of parts:*Grip*Approach...
called into question on a number of occasions by umpires and sections of the cricket community. After biomechanical analysis under simulated playing conditions, Muralitharan's action was cleared by the International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
, first in 1996 and again in 1999. Former Australian Test player, Bruce Yardley, who himself was an off spinner in his day, was assigned with the task of ensuring Muralitharan bowled all his deliveries with the same vigour as he would do so in match conditions when tested in 2004. Muralitharan had not commenced bowling the doosra at this time. The legality of his doosra
Doosra
A doosra is a particular type of delivery by an off-spin bowler in the sport of cricket, invented by Pakistani cricketer Saqlain Mushtaq. The term means " second ", or " other " in Urdu...
was first called into question in 2004. This delivery was found to exceed the ICC elbow extension limit by nine degrees, five degrees being the limit for spinners at that time. Based on official studies into bowling actions, which revealed that 99% of bowlers whose actions were examined exceeded the elbow flexion limits, ICC revised the limits applying to all bowlers in 2005. Muralitharan's doosra falls within the revised limits.
In February 2009, after becoming cricket's highest wicket-taker in both forms of the game Muttiah Muralitharan hinted that he may retire at the conclusion of the 2011 World Cup. He stated "I think I am fit in my body and mind, I am enjoying my cricket and want to play more. But after the next World Cup, I will have nothing left to achieve in the game. The World Cup should mark the end of my career." Muralitharan announced his retirement from Test cricket after the first Test against India at Galle which commenced on 2010. During that match he captured 8 wickets and became the first to reach the milestone of taking 800 Test wickets by dismissing Pragyan Ojha
Pragyan Ojha
Pragyan Prayish Ojha is an Indian cricketer. Debuting in first class cricket in 2004/05, Ojha is a left-arm spinner who has represented India at under-19 level....
.
Early years and personal life
Muttiah Muralitharan is the first and only Tamil of Indian origin to represent Sri Lanka in international cricket. He holds Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) and he does not need a visa for travelling to India. According to his manager, Kushil Gunasekera, Muralitharan qualifies for this status because his family originates from India.Muralitharan's paternal grandfather Periyasamy Sinasamy came from South India to work in the tea plantations of central Sri Lanka in 1920. Muralitharans belong to the Kongu Vellalar
Kongu Vellalar
Gounders also known as Kongu Vellalars are Kshatriyas native to the western region of Tamil Nadu known as Kongu Nadu. They were known as a noble, feudal and land owning caste of Tamil Nadu from the Sangam age...
caste which has majority of people from the north-western part of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Sinasamy later returned to the country of his birth with his daughters and settled in Namakkal, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, India. However his sons, including Muralitharan's father Muttiah, remained in Sri Lanka.
Muralitharan was born in the village of Nattarampotha in Kundasale (near Kandy
Kandy
Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...
), the eldest of the four sons to Sinnasamy Muttiah and Lakshmi. Muralitharan's father Sinnasamy Muttiah, runs a successful biscuit-making business.
When he was nine years old Muralitharan was sent to St. Anthony's College, Kandy, a private school run by Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monks. He began his cricketing career as a medium pace bowler but on the advice of his school coach, Sunil Fernando, he took up off-spin when he was fourteen years old. He soon impressed and went on to play for four years in the school First XI. In those days he played as an all-rounder and batted in the middle order. In his final two seasons at St Anthony's College he took over one hundred wickets and in 1990/1 was named as the 'Bata Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year'.
After leaving school he joined Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club
Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club
Tamil Union Cricket & Athletic Club is a first-class cricket team based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. They play their home games at P. Saravanamuttu Stadium.-Current squad:Players who represented the club during the 2008-09 Premier Championship....
and was selected for the Sri Lanka A tour of England in 1991. He played in five games but failed to capture a single wicket. On his return to Sri Lanka he impressed against Allan Border
Allan Border
Allan Robert Border AO is a former Australian cricketer. A batsman, Border was for many years the captain of the Australian team. His playing nickname was "A.B.". He played 156 Test matches in his career, a record until it was passed by fellow Australian Steve Waugh...
's Australian team in a practice game and then went on to make his Test debut at R. Premadasa Stadium
R. Premadasa Stadium
R. Premadasa Stadium is a cricket stadium situated on Khettarama Road, Maligawatta, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The stadium was, prior to June 1994, known as the Khettarama Cricket Stadium and is today one of the main venues in which the Sri Lankan cricket team play...
in the Second Test Match of the series.
When his grandfather died at the age of 104 in July 2004, Muralitharan returned home from a tour of India to attend his funeral. Periyasamy Sinasamy's first wish to see Muralitharan claiming the world record for the most Test wickets was realised (passing the record set by Courtney Walsh
Courtney Walsh
Courtney Andrew Walsh is a former international cricketer who represented the West Indies from 1984 to 2001, captaining the West Indies in 22 Test matches...
), but not his desire to live to see his grandson married. Muralitharan's grandmother had died one month earlier at the age of 97. Muralitharan's manager, Kushil Gunasekera stated that "Murali's family is closely knit and united. They respect traditional values. The late grandfather enjoyed a great relationship with Murali."
Muralitharan married Madhimalar Ramamurthy, a Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
girl, on 2005. Madhimalar is the daughter of late Dr S. Ramamurthy of Malar Hospitals, and his wife Dr Nithya Ramamurthy. Their first child, Naren, was born in January 2006.
Muttiah has announced on the 3 April 2011 that he is retiring from sports all together.
Spelling and meaning of name
Even though his name has been widely romanisedRomanization
In linguistics, romanization or latinization is the representation of a written word or spoken speech with the Roman script, or a system for doing so, where the original word or language uses a different writing system . Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written...
as Muralitharan since the commencement of his career, the cricketer himself prefers to romanise his name as Muralidaran. The different spellings have arisen because the Tamil letter த can be pronounced as both 't' and 'd' depending on its place in a word. It is often transliterated as 'th' to distinguish it from another letter, ட, which is a retroflex 't' or 'd'. In 2007, when Cricket Australia
Cricket Australia
Cricket Australia, formerly known as the Australian Cricket Board, is the governing body for professional and amateur cricket in Australia. It was originally formed in 1905 as the Australian Board of Control for International Cricket...
decided to unveil the new Warne-Muralidaran Trophy
Warne-Muralidaran Trophy
The Warne-Muralidaran Trophy is awarded to the winner of the Australia – Sri Lanka Test cricket series from 2007/08 season onwards. The trophy is named after the two leading wicket takers in Test cricket, Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan and Australia's Shane Warne...
, to be contested between Australia and Sri Lanka, Muralitharan was requested to clarify how his name should be spelt. Cricket Australia spokesman Peter Young confirmed that "the spelling he's given is Muralidaran".
The first day cover involving Muralitharan bears an official seal captioned as "The highest wicket taker in Test cricket, MUTHIAH MURALIDARAN, First Day of Issue 03.12.2007, Camp Post Office, Asgiriya International Cricket Stadium
Asgiriya Stadium
Asgiriya International Stadium, is a Cricket stadium situated in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Asgiriya Stadium is the private property of Trinity College, Kandy. It is around a 10 minute walk from the centre of the city. The venue would usually be used when an international team toured Sri Lanka for a Test...
, Kandy
Kandy
Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...
".
The name Muralitharan means "the bearer of the flute", which is a synonym for Lord Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
, a deity in Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
who is said to play upon his bamboo flute while looking after cattle.
In Sri Lanka
In domestic cricket, Muralitharan has played for two first-class Sri Lankan sides, Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic ClubTamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club
Tamil Union Cricket & Athletic Club is a first-class cricket team based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. They play their home games at P. Saravanamuttu Stadium.-Current squad:Players who represented the club during the 2008-09 Premier Championship....
in the Premier Trophy
Premier Trophy
The Premier Trophy is the main domestic first-class cricket competition in Sri Lanka. It was established in 1938 and has existed under a number of different names. Matches before the 1988-89 season are not considered first-class.-List of winners:...
and Central Province in the Provincial Championship. His record has been exceptional – 234 wickets at 14.51 runs in 46 matches.
In England
He has also played county cricket in England, mainly for LancashireLancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
(1999, 2001, 2005 and 2007) where he appeared in twenty-eight first-class games for the club. He played five first class games for Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
during the 2003 season. His bowling record in English domestic cricket is also exceptional – 236 wickets at 15.62 runs in 33 matches. Despite his efforts, he has not been on a title winning first-class domestic team in either the Premier Trophy
Premier Trophy
The Premier Trophy is the main domestic first-class cricket competition in Sri Lanka. It was established in 1938 and has existed under a number of different names. Matches before the 1988-89 season are not considered first-class.-List of winners:...
or the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
. He is unusual amongst the majority of current Test players in that he has played in more Test matches than other first-class games (116 Tests and 99 other first class matches as of 2007).He has been signed by Gloucestershire in 2011 to play in T20 matches.
In India
In February 2008, Muralitharan was slated to play Twenty20Twenty20
Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
cricket for the Chennai Super Kings
Chennai Super Kings
Chennai Super Kings is a franchise cricket team based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu that plays in the Indian Premier League. Founded in 2008, the team is currently captained by Mahendra Singh Dhoni and coached by Stephen Fleming, a former New Zealand cricketer. The team's home ground is the M. A...
in the Indian Premier League
Indian Premier League
The Indian Premier League is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner...
(IPL). He was bought for $600,000 by India Cements, the Chennai franchisee of the IPL, through a bidding process. The Chennai Super Kings
Chennai Super Kings
Chennai Super Kings is a franchise cricket team based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu that plays in the Indian Premier League. Founded in 2008, the team is currently captained by Mahendra Singh Dhoni and coached by Stephen Fleming, a former New Zealand cricketer. The team's home ground is the M. A...
were the runners up in the inaugural edition of the IPL, losing to the Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals is an Indian Premier League franchise based on the city of the Jaipur captained and coached by former Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne.They were the champions of the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League...
in the final. Muralitharan captured 11 wickets in 15 games, at an economy rate of 6.96 an over. In 2010, in the third season of IPL, Muralitharan was part of the Chennai Super Kings
Chennai Super Kings
Chennai Super Kings is a franchise cricket team based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu that plays in the Indian Premier League. Founded in 2008, the team is currently captained by Mahendra Singh Dhoni and coached by Stephen Fleming, a former New Zealand cricketer. The team's home ground is the M. A...
side that won the IPL championship. Muralitharan also remained the side's leading wicket-taker after all the three tournaments.
At the 2011 IPL Player Auctions Muralitharan was brought by Kochi Tuskers Kerala for $1.1 million USD.
Muralitharan, was contracted to represent Bengal
Bengal cricket team
Bengal cricket team is considered Eastern India's strongest cricket team, it is the Elite Group of the Ranji Trophy and were runners-up twice consecutively in the 2005-06 and the 2006-07 season. Their ranks are occasionally bolstered by the return of Sourav Ganguly to the domestic competition...
in the 2008–09 Ranji Trophy
Ranji Trophy
The Ranji Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between different city and state sides, equivalent to the County Championship in England and the Sheffield Shield in Australia...
tournament. He was expected to play about four matches in the tournament's second division – the Plate League.
Bowling style and career progress
He bowls marathon spells, yet he is usually on the attack. His unique bowling action begins with an open-chested short run-up, and culminates with an extremely wrist
Wrist
In human anatomy, the wrist is variously defined as 1) the carpus or carpal bones, the complex of eight bones forming the proximal skeletal segment of the hand;...
y release which had him mistaken for a leg-spinner
Leg spin
Leg spin is a type of spin bowling in the sport of cricket. A leg spinner bowls right-arm with a wrist spin action, causing the ball to spin from right to left in the cricket pitch, at the point of delivery. When the ball bounces, the spin causes the ball to deviate sharply from right to left, that...
early in his career by Allan Border
Allan Border
Allan Robert Border AO is a former Australian cricketer. A batsman, Border was for many years the captain of the Australian team. His playing nickname was "A.B.". He played 156 Test matches in his career, a record until it was passed by fellow Australian Steve Waugh...
. Aside from his off-break, his main deliveries are a fast topspinner
Topspinner
A top-spinner is a type of delivery bowled by a cricketer bowling either wrist spin or finger spin. In either case, the bowler imparts the ball with top spin by twisting it with his or her fingers prior to delivery...
which goes straight on, and the doosra
Doosra
A doosra is a particular type of delivery by an off-spin bowler in the sport of cricket, invented by Pakistani cricketer Saqlain Mushtaq. The term means " second ", or " other " in Urdu...
, a surprise delivery which turns from leg to off (the opposite direction of his stock delivery) with no easily discernible change of action. His newest variation is a version of Shane Warne's slider, which is flicked out the side of his hand and rushes onto batsmen like a flipper. His super-flexible wrist makes him especially potent and guarantees him turn on any surface.
Since his debut in 1992, Muralitharan has taken 800 Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
wickets and over 500 One Day International wickets, becoming the first player to take 1,000 wickets combined in the two main forms of international cricket.
Emerging years
On 28 August 1992 at the age of 20, Muralitharan made his debut against Australia at the Khettarama Stadium and claimed 3 for 141. Craig McDermottCraig McDermott
Craig John McDermott is a former Australian cricketer. He is currently the bowling coach for the Australian cricket team....
was his first Test wicket. His freakish action and his angular run-up showed that this was no run-of-the-mill spinner. During his first Test, there was one dismissal which convinced many of Muralitharan's special powers. Tom Moody
Tom Moody
Thomas Masson Moody is a former Australian cricketer and coach of the Sri Lankan cricket team. Today he is the coach for the IPL team Kings XI Punjab...
's leg-stump was dislodged when he shouldered arms to a delivery that pitched at least two feet outside the off-stump.
The youthful Muralitharan went from strength to strength, playing a major part in Sri Lanka's back-to-back Test victories against England and New Zealand in 1992–93. It was at this point in his career that he struck a close bond with his leader, mentor and one time business partner, the authoritative captain Arjuna Ranatunga
Arjuna Ranatunga
Arjuna Ranatunga is a retired Sri Lankan cricketer and politician. He was the captain of Sri Lankan cricket team, and led them to an unbeaten title-winning campaign at the 1996 Cricket World Cup...
. This relationship formed the bedrock of his success and meant that there were few doubts about his status as the team's sole wicket-taker. Ranatunga was thoroughly convinced that Muralitharan's precocious talent would signal a new era in Sri Lanka's short Test history.
In August 1993 at Moratuwa, Muralitharan captured 5 for 104 in South Africa's first innings, his first five-wicket haul in Tests. His wickets included Kepler Wessels
Kepler Wessels
Kepler Christoffel Wessels is a former South African cricketer who captained South Africa after playing 24 Tests for Australia. He was the first man to have played One Day International cricket for two countries....
, Hansie Cronje
Hansie Cronje
Wessel Johannes "Hansie" Cronje was a South African cricketer and captain of the South African national cricket team in the 1990s...
and Jonty Rhodes
Jonty Rhodes
Jonathan Neil "Jonty" Rhodes is a former South African Test and One Day International cricketer who played for the South African cricket team between 1992 and 2003.Rhodes was born in Pietermaritzburg, Natal Province, South Africa...
.
Muralitharan has continued to baffle batsman outside the shores of Sri Lanka, irrespective of the team's performance. In Sri Lanka's humiliating drubbing at the hands of India in 1993–94, where all three Tests were innings defeats, Muralitharan was the sole success, with 12 wickets in the rubber. His perseverance in the face of some astronomical scores by the fearsome quartet of Mohammed Azharuddin, Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the only male player to score a double century in the history of ODI cricket...
, Navjot Sidhu and Vinod Kambli
Vinod Kambli
Vinod Ganpat Kambli is a former Indian cricketer, who played for India as a middle order batsman, as well as for Mumbai and Boland, South Africa.He is childhood friend of ace cricketer Sachin Tendulkar...
was in sharp contrast to the submission with which his team-mates played the series.
It was in New Zealand in March 1995 that Muralitharan displayed his qualities as a match-winner on any surface. In Sri Lanka's first triumph on foreign soil, Muralitharan confused the crease-bound New Zealanders on a grassy pitch in Dunedin. The Sri Lankan manager Duleep Mendis
Duleep Mendis
Louis Rohan Duleep Mendis is a former Sri Lankan cricketer, who captained Sri Lanka to their first Test series victory in 1985. He was primarily a specialist batsman, whose best period as a player came from 1982 to 1985. His first years of school were spent at St. Sebastian's College, Moratuwa...
' claim that Muralitharan can turn the ball on concrete was confirmed. On the eve of his tour of Pakistan later that year, doubts were cast on his ability to trouble subcontinental batsmen. By taking 19 wickets in the series and delivering a historic 2–1 victory, the off-spinner silenced the doubters. The Pakistanis, who had negotiated Warne's leg-breaks in the previous home series, were never at ease against him.
Prior to the eventful Boxing Day Test of 1995, Muralitharan had captured 80 wickets in 22 Tests at an unflattering average of 32.74. Even at that point in his career he was the leading wicket taker for Sri Lanka having gone past Rumesh Ratnayake
Rumesh Ratnayake
Rumesh Joseph Ratnayake is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who played in 23 Tests and 70 ODIs from 1982 to 1993.Ratnayake was a right arm fast-medium bowler who was capable of swinging the new ball and generating considerable pace and bounce...
's aggregate of 73 wickets.
Boxing Day Test 1995
During the second Test between Sri Lanka and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket GroundMelbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
on Boxing Day 1995, Australian umpire Darrell Hair
Darrell Hair
Darrell Bruce Hair is an Australian former Test match cricket umpire, from New South Wales. He stood on the Emirates International panel of umpires from 2002 to 2003, before he, along with fellow Australian Simon Taufel, and New Zealander Billy Bowden, was appointed to the ICC Elite umpire panel...
called Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing in front of a crowd of 55,239. The off-spinner was no-balled seven times in three overs by Hair, who believed the then 23 year old was bending his arm and straightening it in the process of delivery; an illegal action in cricket.
The drama unfolded midway through the second session of play. Muralitharan had bowled two overs before lunch from umpire Steve Dunne's or the Members' End of the ground with umpire Hair at square leg and these passed without incident. At he took up the attack from umpire Hair's or the southern end. Muralitharan's third over was a maiden with all deliveries again passed as legitimate but in his fourth Hair no-balled him twice for throwing on the fourth and sixth balls. The umpire continued to call him three times in his fifth over on the second, fourth and sixth balls. While the bowler stood with his hands on his hips perplexed, the five calls provoked an immediate response by the Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga
Arjuna Ranatunga
Arjuna Ranatunga is a retired Sri Lankan cricketer and politician. He was the captain of Sri Lankan cricket team, and led them to an unbeaten title-winning campaign at the 1996 Cricket World Cup...
who left the field at in order to take advice from his team management. He returned at and continued with Muralitharan who was called two more times in his sixth over on the second and sixth balls. At Ranatunga removed the bowler from the attack, although he reintroduced him at at umpire Dunne's end. Although Hair reports in his book, "Decision Maker", that at the end of the tea break he stated that he would call Muralitharan no matter which end he bowled he did not do so. Muralitharan completed another twelve overs without further no-balls and, after bowling Mark Waugh, finished the day with figures of 18–3–58–1.
The controversy bubbled on during the two-day long Australian innings. After being no-balled Muralitharan bowled a further 32 overs from umpire Steve Dunne's end without protest from either Dunne or Hair, at square leg. The Sri Lankan camp was outraged after the incident, but the ICC
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
leapt to Hair's defence, outlining a list of steps they had taken in the past to determine, without result, the legitimacy of Muralitharan's action. By calling Muralitharan from the bowlers' end Hair overrode what is normally regarded as the authority of the square leg umpire in adjudicating on throwing. Dunne would have had to break convention to support his partner.
At the end of the match the Sri Lankans requested from the ICC permission to confer with Hair in order to find out exactly how to remedy the problem with their bowler. Despite the game's controlling body agreeing to it, the Australian Cricket Board vetoed it on the grounds that it might lead to umpires being quizzed by teams after every game and meant that the throwing controversy would continue into the World Series Cup
World Series Cup
The World Series Cup was the name of the One Day International cricket tournament that took place in Australia every season between Australia and two touring teams from 1979-80 to 1995-96. The tournament was renamed the World Series from 1990-1. This was the very first of the One Day International ...
during the coming week. The Sri Lankans were disappointed they did not get an explanation and decided they would continue playing their bowler in matches not umpired by Hair and wanted to know whether other umpires would support or reject Hair's judgement.
Muralitharan's action was cleared by the ICC after biomechanical analysis at the University of Western Australia and at the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology in 1996. They concluded that his action created the 'optical illusion of throwing'.
Mid career
On 16 March 1997, Muralitharan became the first Sri Lankan to reach 100 Test wickets, when he dismissed Stephen FlemingStephen Fleming
Stephen Paul Fleming ONZM is a New Zealand cricketer, and the former captain of the New Zealand national cricket team, known as the Black Caps, in Test and one-day cricket...
in the second innings of the Hamilton Test.
In January 1998, Muralitharan took his first ten-wicket haul against Zimbabwe in the first Test at Kandy. Sri Lanka won by eight wickets and Muralitharan had figures of 12 for 117.
In August that same year Muralitharan produces his career-best Test match figures of 16 for 220, in the one-off Test against England. In England's second innings Muralitharan bowled a marathon 54.2 overs to pick up 9 for 65 runs, the other wicket being a run out. Ben Hollioake
Ben Hollioake
Benjamin Caine Hollioake was an all rounder for Surrey County Cricket Club and the England cricket team. He was born in Melbourne, Australia, and moved to England as a boy, along with his older brother Adam...
becomes his 200th Test wicket. Sri Lanka won by ten wickets, their first Test victory in England. After breaking the world record for the most Test wickets in 2007, Muralitharan commented that his 1998 performance at the Oval against England, was his career highlight. He stated "Everyone thought I was a good bowler then and I didn't look back from there."
Playing his 58th Test, Muralitharan claimed his 300th Test wicket when he dismissed Shaun Pollock in the first Test in Durban, in December 2000. Only Dennis Lillee
Dennis Lillee
Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...
reached the milestone faster, in his 56th Test.
On 4 January 2002 in Kandy Muralitharan might have finished with the best-ever figures for a single innings, but after he had claimed nine wickets against Zimbabwe Russel Arnold
Russel Arnold
Russel Premakumaran "Rusty" Arnold is a former Sri Lankan cricketer of Tamil descent. Arnold made his Test debut against Pakistan in 1997 and his One day international debut against South Africa later in the year. Originally an opening batsmen, Arnold has since moved down the batting order...
dropped a catch at short leg.
He missed out on the tenth when Chaminda Vaas
Chaminda Vaas
Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas , usually known as Chaminda Vaas, is a Sri Lankan cricketer is regarded as the best fast bowler to have come out of the country - he has been described as the 'most penetrative and successful new-ball bowler Sri Lanka have had'...
dismissed Henry Olonga
Henry Olonga
Henry Khaaba Olonga is a former Zambian-born cricketer for Zimbabwe.- Cricket career :He made his international debut in a Test match against Pakistan at Harare in 1995, at age 18 years, 212 days, becoming the youngest player to represent Zimbabwe. He helped Zimbabwe to its first ever Test victory...
caught behind amid stifled appeals. Muralitharan follows up his 9 for 51 in the first innings with 4 for 64 in the second, equalling Richard Hadlee
Richard Hadlee
Sir Richard John Hadlee, MBE is a former New Zealand cricketer who played provincial cricket for Canterbury, Nottinghamshire and Tasmania. He is the son of Walter Hadlee, and the brother of Dayle and Barry Hadlee. His former wife Karen also played international cricket for New Zealand.Hadlee was...
's record of 10 ten-wicket match hauls, but needing 15 fewer Tests to do so.
On 15 January 2002 playing in his 72nd Test, Muralitharan became the fastest to reach the 400-wicket landmark when he bowled Olonga in the third Test in Galle.
On 16 March 2004 Muralitharan became the fastest and the youngest bowler to reach 500 wickets during the second Test between Sri Lanka and Australia played in Kandy. In his 87th Test, he bowled Kasprowicz to claim his 500th victim just four days after Warne reached the landmark on the fifth day of the first Test between the two teams at Galle. Warne took 108 Tests to reach 500. Muralitharan took 4–48 on the first day of the second Test as Australia were skittled for 120 in the first innings.
Passing Walsh and Warne
Courtney Walsh
Courtney Andrew Walsh is a former international cricketer who represented the West Indies from 1984 to 2001, captaining the West Indies in 22 Test matches...
's record of 519 Test match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
wickets to become the highest wicket-taker. Zimbabwe's Mluleki Nkala
Mluleki Nkala
Mluleki Luke Nkala commonly known as Syke, is a Zimbabwean cricketer. He took the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar with his second ball in senior international cricket, in a one-dayer against India at Bulawayo in 1999...
becomes Muralitharan's 520th scalp in Tests. Muralitharan held the record until Shane Warne
Shane Warne
Shane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet...
claimed it in October 2004. Warne surpassed Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan's mark of 532 wickets by dismissing India's Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan is an Indian cricketer who made his debut for India in late-2003 and was a core member of the national team until a decline in form set in during 2006, forcing him out of the team...
. Warne said he enjoyed his duel with Muralitharan, who was sidelined following shoulder surgery at the time.
After an outstanding year Muralitharan was adjudged as the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World
Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World
The Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World award was introduced in 2004 to complement the long-standing Wisden Cricketer of the Year awards, which are still given to five players each year....
in 2006. In six Tests, he took 60 wickets. He took ten in each of four successive matches, the second time he has performed such a feat. The opponents for his 60-wicket haul were England away, South Africa at home and New Zealand away: serious opposition. In all, Muralitharan took 90 wickets in 11 Tests in the calendar year.
In July 2007, Muttiah Muralitharan become the second bowler after Australia's Shane Warne to capture 700 Test wickets. The off-spinner reached the landmark when he had Bangladesh's last man Syed Rasel
Syed Rasel
Syed Rasel is a Bangladeshi cricketer. He is a left-handed medium-fast swing bowler who came up through the ranks of the under-19s, to the Bangladesh A team, to the full Bangladesh team, while playing for Khulna Division....
caught in the deep by Farveez Maharoof
Farveez Maharoof
Mohamed Farveez Maharoof is a Sri Lankan cricketer. He first made his impression in the 2004 U19 World Cup in which he captained the Sri Lankan team. He enjoyed a prolific school career for Wesley College, with a highest score of 243 and best bowling figures of 8 for 20. An all-rounder, he made...
on the fourth day of the third and final Test at the Asgiriya stadium in Kandy. The dismissal signalled Sri Lanka's victory by an innings and 193 runs to give the host a 3–0 sweep of the series. Muralitharan finished with six wickets in each innings to claim 10 wickets or more in a Test for the 20th time. However, he was unable to pass Warne
Shane Warne
Shane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet...
's record of 708 wickets when Sri Lanka toured Australia in November 2007, capturing just four wickets in two Test matches.
Muralitharan reclaimed the record for most Test wickets during the first Test against England at Kandy
Kandy
Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...
on 2007. The spinner bowled England's Paul Collingwood
Paul Collingwood
Paul David Collingwood MBE is an English cricketer. He has been a regular member of the England Test side, was captain of the One Day International team 2007–2008. He is also vice-captain of his county, Durham County Cricket Club. Collingwood is a batting all-rounder, whose batting...
to claim his 709th Test victim and overtaking Shane Warne
Shane Warne
Shane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet...
in the process. Muralitharan reached the mark in his 116th Test – 29 fewer than Warne – and had conceded only 21.77 runs per wicket compared to the Australian's 25.41. This was Muralitharan's 61st 5-wicket haul. Warne believed that Muralitharan would take "1,000 wickets" before he retired. Former record holder Courtney Walsh
Courtney Walsh
Courtney Andrew Walsh is a former international cricketer who represented the West Indies from 1984 to 2001, captaining the West Indies in 22 Test matches...
also opined that this would be possible if Muralitharan retained his hunger for wickets. Muralitharan himself believed there was a possibility that he would reach this milestone.
Beyond the world record
In July 2008, Muralitharan and Ajantha MendisAjantha Mendis
Balapuwaduge Ajantha Winslo Mendis is a cricketer who plays for the Sri Lankan national cricket team.Mendis, although classified as slow-medium, bowls a mixture of deliveries, including googlies, off-breaks, top-spinners, flippers and leg-breaks, as well as the carrom ball, released with a flick...
stopped India's strong batting as Sri Lanka won the first Test by a record innings and 239 runs in Colombo. Muralitharan finished the match with 11 wickets for 110, as India were shot out for 138 in their second innings after conceding a lead of 377 on the fourth day. He was well supported by debutant Ajantha Mendis
Ajantha Mendis
Balapuwaduge Ajantha Winslo Mendis is a cricketer who plays for the Sri Lankan national cricket team.Mendis, although classified as slow-medium, bowls a mixture of deliveries, including googlies, off-breaks, top-spinners, flippers and leg-breaks, as well as the carrom ball, released with a flick...
, an unorthodox spinner with plenty of variation, who took eight wickets in his debut match.
Muralitharan believed the emergence of Mendis would help prolong his own career. Muralitharan, 36, and 23-year-old Mendis formed a formidable partnership in the first Test thrashing of India, taking 19 of the 20 wickets between them. "If he keeps performing this way, he will definitely take a lot of wickets in international cricket. Now that he has come, I think I can play Test cricket a few more years. Bowling 50 overs in a Test innings is very hard. Now if I bowl only 30–35 and he bowls more than me, the job will get easier for me."
Performance analysis
| Table: Test bowling performance | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Summary of Muralitharan's Test bowling performance against all opponents. | |||||||||||
| Versus | M | O | M | R | W | 5w | 10w | Best | Avg | S/R | E/R |
| Australia | 13* | 685.3 | 100 | 2128 | 59 | 5 | 1 | 6 for 59 | 36.07 | 69.7 | 3.1 |
| Bangladesh | 11 | 452.0 | 114 | 1190 | 89 | 11 | 4 | 6 for 18 | 13.37 | 30.4 | 2.6 |
| England | 16 | 1102.1 | 348 | 2247 | 112 | 8 | 4 | 9 for 65 | 20.06 | 59.0 | 2.0 |
| India | 22 | 1125.2 | 215 | 3297 | 105 | 7 | 2 | 8 for 87 | 32.32 | 66.1 | 2.9 |
| New Zealand | 14 | 753.2 | 203 | 1776 | 82 | 5 | 1 | 6 for 87 | 21.53 | 55.1 | 2.3 |
| Pakistan | 16 | 782.5 | 184 | 2027 | 80 | 5 | 1 | 6 for 71 | 25.46 | 58.7 | 2.6 |
| South Africa | 15 | 984.4 | 221 | 2311 | 104 | 11 | 4 | 7 for 84 | 22.22 | 56.8 | 2.3 |
| West Indies | 12 | 622.3 | 143 | 1609 | 82 | 9 | 3 | 8 for 46 | 19.62 | 45.5 | 2.6 |
| Zimbabwe | 14 | 786.5 | 259 | 1467 | 87 | 6 | 2 | 9 for 51 | 16.86 | 54.2 | 1.9 |
| Overall (9) | 133 | 7339.5 | 1794 | 18180 | 800 | 67 | 22 | 9 for 51 | 22.72 | 55.0 | 2.5 |
| Source: Cricinfo *Including one for an ICC World XI | |||||||||||
In July 2007, Muralitharan achieved a career peak Test Bowling Rating of 920, based on the LG ICC Player Rankings. This is the highest ever rating achieved by a spin bowler in Test cricket. This also puts him in fourth place in the LG ICC Best-Ever Test bowling ratings.
Muralitharan has the unique distinction of getting 10 or more wickets in a match against all other nine Test playing nations as well as capturing over 50 wickets against each of them. He has also obtained 7 or more wickets in an innings against five nations, namely England, India, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, West Indies and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
(refer to table above). Muttiah Muralitharan also took at least five five-fors against all the other nine Test sides.The only country in which he failed to take a five-for was Australia, where his best innings analysis in five Tests was 3 for 55.
He currently holds the highest wickets/match ratio (6.1) for any bowler with over 200 Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
wickets and has also represented Sri Lanka in 118 Tests of the 175 that they have played (67.4%).
Against teams excluding Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, Muralitharan took 624 wickets in 108 Tests. By comparison, excluding his matches against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, Warne took 691 wickets in 142 tests. Murali's average of 24.05 is slightly superior to Warne's career average of 25.41. Muralitharan won 18 Man of the Match awards in Test cricket.
During Muralitharan's playing days, the ICC Future Tours Programme denied Sri Lanka and several other teams a level playing field. As a consequence Muralitharan never toured South Africa after December 2002 and never playing a Test at the spin-friendly Sydney Cricket Ground.
Another comparison of Muralitharan's bowling record against other successful international bowlers is their career record away from home. Muralitharan has received criticism that he has enjoyed great success on home soil, taking wickets on pitches that are more spin-friendly than other international pitches. A quick analysis of his Test record of matches played outside Sri Lanka shows that from 52 matches he has taken 278 wickets at an average of 26.24 runs per wicket, with a strike rate of 60.1 balls per wicket. Similarly, spin bowling rival Shane Warne retired with a slightly superior 'away' record of 362 wickets from 73 matches, at an average of 25.50 and a strike rate of 56.7. Due to the variabilities of Test cricket such as grounds played at and opposition played against it is difficult to compare the quality of the top level players and, as such, is very difficult and subjective. However it is clear that Muralitharan did much better playing at home to test minnows Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, averaging less than 16 runs a wicket.
Cricinfo's statistics editor S Rajesh concluded that the decade 2000–2009 was the best 10-year period for Test batsmen since the 1940s. Muralitharan was clearly the leading Test wicket-taker during this period, capturing 565 wickets at 20.97 in spite of the dominance of the bat over ball. Shane Warne captured 357 wickets at an average of 25.17 during the decade. Of spinners with over Test 100 wickets only John Briggs (17.75), Jim Laker (21.24), Bill O Reilly (22.59) and Clarrie Grimmett (24.21) have sub 25.00 bowling averages.
Muralitharan was on the winning side on 54 of the 133 test matches he played. In those games he captured a total of 438 wickets (8.1 wickets per match), at an outstanding average of 16.18 per wicket and a strike rate of 42.7.
Muralitharan took 795 wickets for his country Sri Lanka in 132 tests. The next most wickets for Sri Lanka in these 132 Tests was Chaminda Vaas
Chaminda Vaas
Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas , usually known as Chaminda Vaas, is a Sri Lankan cricketer is regarded as the best fast bowler to have come out of the country - he has been described as the 'most penetrative and successful new-ball bowler Sri Lanka have had'...
' 309 - less than 40% of the spinner's pile. No one else managed 100. Collectively Sri Lankan bowlers tallied 1968 wickets across that span, of which Muralitharan accounted for 40.4%. Among the 24 other Sri Lankans who took more than 10 of those wickets, only Lasith Malinga did so at a better strike rate (52.3) than Muralitharan's 54.9 - and the latter bowled rather more overs, 6657.1 of them to be precise.
Test wicket milestones
| Number | Batsman | Method | Score | Team | Match # | Test # | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Craig McDermott Craig McDermott Craig John McDermott is a former Australian cricketer. He is currently the bowling coach for the Australian cricket team.... |
lbw | 9 | Australia Australian cricket team The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877... |
1 | 1195 | |
| 50th | Navjot Sidhu | caught Ruwan Kalpage Ruwan Kalpage Ruwan Kalpage is a former Sri Lankan cricketer. He was a left-handed batsman and a right-arm offbreak bowler.... |
43 | India Indian cricket team The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status.... |
13 | 1247 | |
| 74th | Inzamam-ul-Haq Inzamam-ul-Haq Inzamam-ul-Haq , also known as Inzamam, nicknamed Inzy, is a former Pakistan international cricketer who was national captain between 2003 and 2007. He is a right-handed batsman who has been regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of his era... |
caught and bowled | 26 | Pakistan | 20 | 1305 | Breaks Rumesh Ratnayake Rumesh Ratnayake Rumesh Joseph Ratnayake is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who played in 23 Tests and 70 ODIs from 1982 to 1993.Ratnayake was a right arm fast-medium bowler who was capable of swinging the new ball and generating considerable pace and bounce... 's Sri Lankan record |
| 100th | Stephen Fleming Stephen Fleming Stephen Paul Fleming ONZM is a New Zealand cricketer, and the former captain of the New Zealand national cricket team, known as the Black Caps, in Test and one-day cricket... |
bowled | 59 | New Zealand New Zealand cricket team The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the... |
27 | 1359 | |
| 150th | Guy Whittall Guy Whittall Guy James Whittall is a former Zimbabwean cricketer who played 46 Tests and 147 ODIs and captained Zimbabwe in four One Day Internationals. An all-rounder, he was a right-handed aggressive middle-order batsman and an effective right arm medium pace bowler.-Early days:Whittall was selected for the... |
caught Mahela Jayawardene Mahela Jayawardene Denagamage Proboth Mahela de Silva Jayawardene , known as Mahela Jayawardene, is the former captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team. He is a specialist batsman who has a Test average of over 50, and an ODI average in the 30s... |
17 | Zimbabwe Zimbabwean cricket team The Zimbabwean cricket team is a national cricket team representing Zimbabwe. It is administrated by Zimbabwe Cricket... |
36 | 1395 | |
| 200th | Dominic Cork Dominic Cork Dominic Gerald Cork is a former English cricketer. Cork is a right-handed lower-order batsman who bowls right-arm fast-medium, and is renowned for his swing and seam control. Making his début in first-class cricket for Derbyshire in 1990, he was selected to play for England in 1992, aged 21. He... |
caught Romesh Kaluwitharana Romesh Kaluwitharana Romesh Shantha Kaluwitharana is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who played in 49 Test and 189 ODIs from 1990 to 2004... |
8 | England English cricket team The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end... |
42 | 1423 | |
| 250th | Naved Ashraf Naved Ashraf Mohammad Naved Ashraf Qureshi is a Pakistani cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-pace bowler.Ashraf has played in two Test matches and had a minor foray into Twenty20 cricket.... |
lbw | 27 | Pakistan Pakistani cricket team The Pakistan cricket team is the national cricket team of Pakistan. Pakistan, represented by the Pakistan Cricket Board , is a full member of the International Cricket Council, and thus participates in , and cricket matches.... |
51 | 1489 | |
| 300th | Shaun Pollock Shaun Pollock Shaun Maclean Pollock is a retired South African cricketer who is considered a bowling all-rounder. From 2000 to 2003 he was the captain of the South African cricket team, and also played for Africa XI, World XI, Dolphins and Warwickshire. He was also chosen as the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in... |
caught Tillakaratne Dilshan Tillakaratne Dilshan Tillakaratne Mudiyanselage Dilshan born October 14, 1976 in Kalutara, Sri Lanka is a Sri Lankan cricketer and captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team since April 2011. He has been a member of the team since November 1999, and was also known as Tuwan Mohammad Dilshan prior to his conversion... |
11 | South Africa South African cricket team The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status... |
58 | 1526 | |
| 350th | Mohammad Sharif Mohammad Sharif (cricketer) Mohammad Sharif is a Bangladeshi cricketer who played in 8 Tests and 8 ODIs from 2001 to 2002. He was called in the national side after five years for the Bangladesh tour of Zimbabwe for ODIs, and was recalled for tests after five and a half years for the Indian tour of Bangladesh... |
caught and bowled | 19 | Bangladesh Bangladeshi cricket team The Bangladesh national cricket team is a national cricket team representing Bangladesh. The team is administered by the Bangladesh Cricket Board . Bangladesh is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status... |
66 | 1561 | |
| 400th | Henry Olonga Henry Olonga Henry Khaaba Olonga is a former Zambian-born cricketer for Zimbabwe.- Cricket career :He made his international debut in a Test match against Pakistan at Harare in 1995, at age 18 years, 212 days, becoming the youngest player to represent Zimbabwe. He helped Zimbabwe to its first ever Test victory... |
bowled | 0 | Zimbabwe Zimbabwean cricket team The Zimbabwean cricket team is a national cricket team representing Zimbabwe. It is administrated by Zimbabwe Cricket... |
72 | 1585 | |
| 450th | Daryl Tuffey Daryl Tuffey Daryl Raymond Tuffey is a New Zealand cricketer who has represented New Zealand at Test and ODI level, and plays domestic first class cricket for Northern Districts Knights. He is playfully known as Daryl "Huffy-Puffy" Tuffey by his Northern Districts team mates due to his heavy breathing when... |
caught Sanath Jayasuriya Sanath Jayasuriya Sanath Teran Jayasuriya is a former Sri Lankan cricketer. An all-rounder, he played for the Sri Lankan cricket team from 1989 to 2011... |
1 | New Zealand New Zealand cricket team The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the... |
80 | 1644 | |
| 500th | Michael Kasprowicz Michael Kasprowicz Michael Scott Kasprowicz is a former Australian Test cricketer. He is a right arm fast bowler, effective outfielder and useful lower order batsman, and has enjoyed a successful career both in Australia and in the English county scene since making his debut for Queensland as a seventeen year old in... |
bowled | 0 | Australia Australian cricket team The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877... |
87 | 1688 | |
| 520th | Mluleki Nkala Mluleki Nkala Mluleki Luke Nkala commonly known as Syke, is a Zimbabwean cricketer. He took the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar with his second ball in senior international cricket, in a one-dayer against India at Bulawayo in 1999... |
caught Mahela Jayawardene Mahela Jayawardene Denagamage Proboth Mahela de Silva Jayawardene , known as Mahela Jayawardene, is the former captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team. He is a specialist batsman who has a Test average of over 50, and an ODI average in the 30s... |
24 | Zimbabwe | 89 | 1698 | Breaks Courtney Walsh Courtney Walsh Courtney Andrew Walsh is a former international cricketer who represented the West Indies from 1984 to 2001, captaining the West Indies in 22 Test matches... 's world record |
| 550th | Khaled Mashud Khaled Mashud Khaled Mashud is a Bangladeshi cricketer. A wicketkeeper and more than a useful middle order batsman, he was a regular member of the national team between 1995-2007. Bangladeshi coach Dav Whatmore has gone so far as to claim Mashud as the best wicketkeeper in Asia.-Early Days:Mashud played for... |
caught Thilan Samaraweera Thilan Samaraweera Thilan Thusara Samaraweera is a Sri Lankan cricketer, born September 22, 1976 in Colombo. Samaraweera plays international cricket for Sri Lanka and is in the side primarily for his solid right-handed batting but is also a capable Off spinner.-Personal life:... |
2 | Bangladesh Bangladeshi cricket team The Bangladesh national cricket team is a national cricket team representing Bangladesh. The team is administered by the Bangladesh Cricket Board . Bangladesh is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status... |
94 | 1764 | |
| 600th | Khaled Mashud Khaled Mashud Khaled Mashud is a Bangladeshi cricketer. A wicketkeeper and more than a useful middle order batsman, he was a regular member of the national team between 1995-2007. Bangladeshi coach Dav Whatmore has gone so far as to claim Mashud as the best wicketkeeper in Asia.-Early Days:Mashud played for... |
caught Lasith Malinga Lasith Malinga Separamadu Lasith Malinga is a Sri Lankan cricketer. He is a fast bowler with a rare round-arm action, sometimes referred to as a sling action, which leads to his nickname, "Slinga Malinga"... |
6 | Bangladesh Bangladeshi cricket team The Bangladesh national cricket team is a national cricket team representing Bangladesh. The team is administered by the Bangladesh Cricket Board . Bangladesh is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status... |
101 | 1786 | |
| 650th | Makhaya Ntini Makhaya Ntini Makhaya Ntini is a former South African cricketer who was the first ethnically black player to play for the South African team. A fast bowler, he tends to bowl from wide of the crease with brisk, although not express, pace... |
caught Farveez Maharoof Farveez Maharoof Mohamed Farveez Maharoof is a Sri Lankan cricketer. He first made his impression in the 2004 U19 World Cup in which he captained the Sri Lankan team. He enjoyed a prolific school career for Wesley College, with a highest score of 243 and best bowling figures of 8 for 20. An all-rounder, he made... |
13 | South Africa South African cricket team The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status... |
108 | 1812 | |
| 700th | Syed Rasel Syed Rasel Syed Rasel is a Bangladeshi cricketer. He is a left-handed medium-fast swing bowler who came up through the ranks of the under-19s, to the Bangladesh A team, to the full Bangladesh team, while playing for Khulna Division.... |
caught Farveez Maharoof Farveez Maharoof Mohamed Farveez Maharoof is a Sri Lankan cricketer. He first made his impression in the 2004 U19 World Cup in which he captained the Sri Lankan team. He enjoyed a prolific school career for Wesley College, with a highest score of 243 and best bowling figures of 8 for 20. An all-rounder, he made... |
4 | Bangladesh Bangladeshi cricket team The Bangladesh national cricket team is a national cricket team representing Bangladesh. The team is administered by the Bangladesh Cricket Board . Bangladesh is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status... |
113 | 1839 | |
| 709th | Paul Collingwood Paul Collingwood Paul David Collingwood MBE is an English cricketer. He has been a regular member of the England Test side, was captain of the One Day International team 2007–2008. He is also vice-captain of his county, Durham County Cricket Club. Collingwood is a batting all-rounder, whose batting... |
bowled | 45 | England English cricket team The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end... |
116 | 1851 | Breaks Shane Warne Shane Warne Shane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet... 's world record |
| 750th | Sourav Ganguly Sourav Ganguly Sourav Chandidas Ganguly is a former Indian cricketer, and captain of the Indian national team. Born into an affluent family, Ganguly was introduced into the world of cricket by his elder brother Snehasish. He is regarded as one of India's most successful captains in modern times. He started his... |
stumped Prasanna Jayawardene Prasanna Jayawardene Hewasandatchige Asiri Prasanna Wishvanath Jayawardene is a Sri Lankan cricketer... |
16 | India Indian cricket team The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status.... |
122 | 1884 | |
| 800th | Pragyan Ojha Pragyan Ojha Pragyan Prayish Ojha is an Indian cricketer. Debuting in first class cricket in 2004/05, Ojha is a left-arm spinner who has represented India at under-19 level.... |
caught Mahela Jayawardene Mahela Jayawardene Denagamage Proboth Mahela de Silva Jayawardene , known as Mahela Jayawardene, is the former captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team. He is a specialist batsman who has a Test average of over 50, and an ODI average in the 30s... |
13 | India Indian cricket team The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status.... |
133 | 1964 | His final delivery in Test cricket |
Five wickets in an innings
Muralitharan has taken five or more wickets in an innings on 67 occasions in Test cricket, which is a world record. In comparison Shane WarneShane Warne
Shane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet...
who is in second place has performed the feat 37 times.
| Table: Five wickets in an innings | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A list of occasions Muralitharan has taken of five or more wickets in a Test Innings. | |||||
| # | Date | Versus | Ground | Innings | Bowling |
| 1 | 25 August 1993 | South Africa | De Soysa Park | 1st | 5 for 104 |
| 2 | 6 September 1993 | South Africa | Sinhalese Sports Gr | 1st | 5 for 101 |
| 3 | 18 January 1994 | India | K.D. Singh Stadium | 1st | 5 for 162 |
| 4 | 11 March 1995 | New Zealand | McLean Park | 2nd | 5 for 64 |
| 5 | 15 September 1995 | Pakistan | Iqbal Stadium | 1st | 5 for 68 |
| 6 | 11 September 1996 | Zimbabwe | Premadasa Stadium | 2nd | 5 for 33 |
| 7 | 19 April 1997 | Pakistan | Premadasa Stadium | 1st | 6 for 98 |
| 8 | 13 June 1997 | West Indies | Antigua Rec Ground | 1st | 5 for 34 |
| 9 | 20 June 1997 | West Indies | Amos Vale Ground | 2nd | 5 for 113 |
| 10 | 7 January 1998 | Zimbabwe | Asgiriya Stadium | 1st | 5 for 23 |
| 11 | 7 January 1998 | Zimbabwe | Asgiriya Stadium | 2nd | 7 for 94 |
| 12 | 27 March 1998 | South Africa | Supersport Park | 1st | 5 for 63 |
| 13 | 27 May 1998 | New Zealand | Premadasa Stadium | 1st | 5 for 90 |
| 14 | 10 June 1998 | New Zealand | Sinhalese Sports Gr | 2nd | 5 for 30 |
| 15 | 27 August 1998 | England | The Oval | 1st | 7 for 155 |
| 16 | 27 August 1998 | England | The Oval | 2nd | 9 for 65 |
| 17 | 22 September 1999 | Australia | Galle Stadium | 1st | 5 for 71 |
| 18 | 5 March 2000 | Pakistan | Arbab Niaz Stadium | 2nd | 6 for 71 |
| 19 | 14 June 2000 | Pakistan | Sinhalese Sports Gr | 1st | 5 for 115 |
| 20 | 20 July 2000 | South Africa | Galle Stadium | 1st | 6 for 87 |
| 21 | 20 July 2000 | South Africa | Galle Stadium | 2nd | 7 for 84 |
| 22 | 6 August 2000 | South Africa | Sinhalese Sports Gr | 2nd | 5 for 68 |
| 23 | 26 December 2000 | South Africa | Kingsmead | 1st | 5 for 122 |
| 24 | 26 December 2000 | South Africa | Kingsmead | 2nd | 6 for 39 |
| 25 | 14 August 2001 | India | Galle Stadium | 2nd | 5 for 49 |
| 26 | 29 August 2001 | India | Sinhalese Sports Gr | 1st | 8 for 87 |
| 27 | 6 September 2001 | Bangladesh | Sinhalese Sports Gr | 1st | 5 for 13 |
| 28 | 6 September 2001 | Bangladesh | Sinhalese Sports Gr | 2nd | 5 for 98 |
| 29 | 13 November 2001 | West Indies | Galle Stadium | 1st | 6 for 126 |
| 30 | 13 November 2001 | West Indies | Galle Stadium | 2nd | 5 for 44 |
| 31 | 21 November 2001 | West Indies | Asgiriya Stadium | 2nd | 6 for 81 |
| 32 | 4 January 2002 | Zimbabwe | Asgiriya Stadium | 1st | 9 for 51 |
| 33 | 12 January 2002 | Zimbabwe | Galle Stadium | 1st | 5 for 67 |
| 34 | 30 May 2002 | England | Edgbaston | 1st | 5 for 143 |
| 35 | 21 July 2002 | Bangladesh | P Saravanamuttu Stad | 1st | 5 for 39 |
| 36 | 21 July 2002 | Bangladesh | P Saravanamuttu Stad | 2nd | 5 for 59 |
| 37 | 3 May 2003 | New Zealand | Asgiriya Stadium | 2nd | 5 for 49 |
| 38 | 20 June 2003 | West Indies | Beausejour Stadium | 1st | 5 for 138 |
| 39 | 2 December 2003 | England | Galle Stadium | 1st | 7 for 46 |
| 40 | 8 March 2004 | Australia | Galle Stadium | 1st | 6 for 59 |
| 41 | 8 March 2004 | Australia | Galle Stadium | 2nd | 5 for 153 |
| 42 | 16 March 2004 | Australia | Asgiriya Stadium | 2nd | 5 for 173 |
| 43 | 24 March 2004 | Australia | Sinhalese Sports Gr | 1st | 5 for 123 |
| 44 | 6 May 2004 | Zimbabwe | Harare Sports Club | 1st | 6 for 45 |
| 45 | 13 July 2005 | West Indies | Sinhalese Sports Gr | 2nd | 6 for 36 |
| 46 | 22 July 2005 | West Indies | Asgiriya Stadium | 2nd | 8 for 46 |
| 47 | 12 September 2005 | Bangladesh | Premadasa Stadium | 2nd | 6 for 18 |
| 48 | 10 December 2005 | India | Feroz Shah Kotla | 1st | 7 for 100 |
| 49 | 28 February 2006 | Bangladesh | Chittagong Div. Stad | 2nd | 6 for 54 |
| 50 | 8 March 2006 | Bangladesh | Shaheed Chandu Stad. | 1st | 5 for 79 |
| 51 | 3 April 2006 | Pakistan | Asgiriya Stadium | 1st | 5 for 39 |
| 52 | 25 May 2006 | England | Edgbaston | 1st | 6 for 86 |
| 53 | 2 June 2006 | England | Trent Bridge | 2nd | 8 for 70 |
| 54 | 27 July 2006 | South Africa | Sinhalese Sports Gr | 2nd | 6 for 131 |
| 55 | 4 August 2006 | South Africa | P Saravanamuttu Stad | 1st | 5 for 128 |
| 56 | 4 August 2006 | South Africa | P Saravanamuttu Stad | 2nd | 7 for 97 |
| 57 | 15 December 2006 | New Zealand | Basin Reserve | 2nd | 6 for 87 |
| 58 | 25 June 2007 | Bangladesh | Sinhalese Sports Gr | 1st | 5 for 15 |
| 59 | 11 July 2007 | Bangladesh | Asgiriya Stadium | 1st | 6 for 28 |
| 60 | 11 July 2007 | Bangladesh | Asgiriya Stadium | 2nd | 6 for 54 |
| 61 | 1 December 2007 | England | Asgiriya Stadium | 1st | 6 for 55 |
| 62 | 9 December 2007 | England | Sinhalese Sports Gr | 1st | 5 for 116 |
| 63 | 3 April 2008 | West Indies | Queen's Park | 1st | 5 for 79 |
| 64 | 23 July 2008 | India | Sinhalese Sports Gr | 1st | 5 for 84 |
| 65 | 23 July 2008 | India | Sinhalese Sports Gr | 2nd | 6 for 26 |
| 66 | 26 December 2008 | Bangladesh | Shere Bangla Stadium | 1st | 6 for 49 |
| 67 | 21 July 2010 | India | Galle International Stadium | 1st | 5 for 63 |
Career summary
On 12 August 1993 Muralitharan made his One Day International (ODI) debut against India at the Khettarama Stadium and took 1 for 38 off ten overs. Praveen Amre was his first ODI wicket.On 27 October 2000 in Sharjah, Muralitharan captured 7 for 30 against India, which were then the best bowling figures in One Day Internationals.
In 9 April 2002 Muralitharan achieved a career peak ODI Bowling Rating of 913, based on the LG ICC Player Rankings. This is the highest ever rating achieved by a spin bowler in One Day Internationals. This also puts him in fourth place in the LG ICC Best-Ever ODI bowling ratings.
In 2006, Muralitharan had the second (now third) highest number of runs (99) hit off him in a One Day International Innings. The Australians, especially Adam Gilchrist, attacked Muralitharan's bowling more than usual that day. It is also to be noted that Muralitharan does not have a great record against the Australians in ODIs and this was proved again as he was ineffective in the finals of the 2007 World Cup; his chief tormentor again being Gilchrist.
Muralitharan has played in four Cricket World Cup
Cricket World Cup
The ICC Cricket World Cup is the premier international championship of men's One Day International cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council , with preliminary qualification rounds leading up to a finals tournament which is held every four years...
tournaments, in 1996, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011. He has captured 67 World Cup wickets and is second in the list behind Glenn McGrath who has 71, and has represented Sri Lanka in three World Cup finals. In 1996 Muralitharan was part Sri Lanka's World Cup winning team that defeated Australia in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Muralitharan also played in the 2007 World Cup final, when Australia defeated Sri Lanka in Bridgetown
Bridgetown
The city of Bridgetown , metropolitan pop 96,578 , is the capital and largest city of the nation of Barbados. Formerly, the Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael...
, Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
. He picked up 23 wickets in the 2007 World Cup, and finished as the second highest wicket taker in the tournament behind Glenn McGrath
Glenn McGrath
Glenn Donald McGrath AM , nicknamed "Pigeon", is a former Australian cricket player. He is one of the most highly regarded fast-medium pace bowlers in cricketing history, and a leading contributor to Australia's domination of world cricket from the mid-1990s to the early 21st century...
. He was part of the 2011 team who lost the world cup final against India in Mumbai. It was his farewell match as well.
Muttiah Muralitharan was left out of the Sri Lankan one-day squad to tour West Indies in April 2008. The chairman of selectors Ashantha De Mel
Ashantha De Mel
Ashantha Lakdasa Francis De Mel is a former Sri Lankan cricketer and selector for the national team. He was one of few Sri Lanka bowlers in the 1980s who could get the ball to anything above medium pace, and he was also said to have the ability to get the ball to swing out.- Cricketing career :He...
clarifying the non-selection stated that "We know he (Muralitharan) can still play in the next World Cup if he is properly looked after, so we want to use him sparingly to preserve him for the big games and the World Cup coming up in the Asian sub-continent where Muralitharan will be a threat."
Muralitharan has the highest number of career wickets in One Day Internationals, having overtaken Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram is a former Pakistani left arm fast bowler and left-handed batsman in cricketer and model. who represented the Pakistan national cricket team in Test cricket and One Day International matches....
on 2009. Akram took 502 wickets in 356 matches. On 2009, Muralitharan dismissed Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh Bhandal is an Indian cricketer, and the son of former Indian fast bowler and Punjabi movie star Yograj Singh. He has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000 and played his first Test match in 2003. He was the vice captain of the ODI team from late-2007 to late-2008...
in his 327th match, the third ODI against India in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
to equal Akram
Akram
-Given name:* Akram Khpalwak, Governor of Paktika Province in Afghanistan* Akram Khuzam, Al Jazeera journallist* Akram Pahalwan, Pakistani wrestler* Akram Zaki, Pakistani senator and literary scholar-Surname:* Ameer Muhammad Akram Awan , Sufi Shaikh...
's record. He has won 13 Man of the Match awards in this form of the game.
Best bowling performances
| Table: Best ODI bowling performances | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Muralitharan's best ODI bowling performances – A list of four or more wickets in a match | |||
| Date | Versus | Ground | Wkts |
| 6 April 1995 | Bangladesh | Sharjah Stadium | 4 for 23 |
| 28 September 1996 | Kenya | Gymkhana Club Ground | 4 for 18 |
| 1 October 1996 | South Africa | Nairobi Club Ground | 4 for 35 |
| 15 April 1998 | Pakistan | Willowmoore Park | 5 for 23 |
| 20 August 1998 | England | Lord's | 5 for 34 |
| 15 December 1999 | Zimbabwe | Harare Sports Club | 4 for 16 |
| 14 July 2000 | South Africa | Premadasa Stadium | 5 for 44 |
| 27 October 2000 | India | Sharjah Stadium | 7 for 30 |
| 31 January 2001 | New Zealand | McLean Park | 5 for 30 |
| 23 March 2001 | England | Rangiri Dambulla Std | 4 for 29 |
| 12 December 2001 | Zimbabwe | Premadasa Stadium | 4 for 32 |
| 9 April 2002 | New Zealand | Sharjah Stadium | 5 for 9 |
| 16 September 2002 | Netherlands | Premadasa Stadium | 4 for 15 |
| 15 January 2003 | Australia | Brisbane Cricket Gr | 4 for 27 |
| 24 February 2003 | Kenya | Gymkhana Club Ground | 4 for 28 |
| 18 May 2003 | Pakistan | Rangiri Dambulla Std | 5 for 23 |
| 22 April 2004 | Zimbabwe | Queens Sports Club | 4 for 32 |
| 29 April 2004 | Zimbabwe | Harare Sports Club | 5 for 23 |
| 20 October 2006 | New Zealand | Brabourne Stadium | 4 for 23 |
| 18 April 2007 | Ireland | Queen's Park (New) | 4 for 19 |
| 24 April 2007 | New Zealand | Sabina Park | 4 for 31 |
| 30 June 2008 | Bangladesh | National Stadium | 5 for 31 |
| 20 November 2008 | Zimbabwe | Harare Sports Club | 4 for 14 |
| 30 November 2008 | Zimbabwe | Harare Sports Club | 5 for 29 |
| 18 March 2011 | New Zealand | Wankhede Stadium | 4 for 25 |
Batting
An aggressive lower order batsman who usually bats at No. 11, Muralitharan is known for his tendency to back away to leg and slog. Sometimes, he can be troublesome for bowlers because of his unorthodox and adventurous batting ways. Once, in a Test match against England, while playing Alex Tudor, he moved back towards his leg stump trying to hook the ball and ended up lying on the ground sideways after the shot. He was infamously run out in a match against New Zealand when he left his crease to congratulate Kumar SangakkaraKumar Sangakkara
Kumar Sangakkara is a Sri Lankan, Sinhalese cricketer and the former captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team. He is a left-handed top-order batsman...
, who had just scored a single to reach his century; the New Zealand fielder had not yet returned the ball to the wicketkeeper, so the ball was still in play. His highest Test score of 67 came against India at Kandy in 2001, including three sixes and five fours. He has made valuable scores on occasion, including 30 runs against England at the Oval in 1998, including 5 fours, 38 runs (4 fours, 1 six) against England at Galle in 2003, 43 runs (5 fours, 3 sixes) against Australia at Kandy in 2004 36 runs against the West Indies at Colombo in 2005, and his highest-ever ODI score, 33 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
(4 fours and 2 sixes off 16 balls) against Bangladesh in the final of the 2009 Tri-Series in Bangladesh. In the latter match, Muralitharan's effort, which included three fours and a six off one over, played a key role in Sri Lanka winning the match and series after the first eight overs saw them reduced to 6 for 5, the lowest score ever recorded in an ODI at the fall of the fifth wicket. Muralitharan has a strike rate close to 70 in Test cricket and has scored over 55% of his Test runs in fours and sixes.
Muralitharan, together with Chaminda Vaas
Chaminda Vaas
Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas , usually known as Chaminda Vaas, is a Sri Lankan cricketer is regarded as the best fast bowler to have come out of the country - he has been described as the 'most penetrative and successful new-ball bowler Sri Lanka have had'...
, holds the record for the highest 10th wicket partnership in Tests for Sri Lanka. The pair put on 79 runs for the last wicket at the Asgiriya Stadium
Asgiriya Stadium
Asgiriya International Stadium, is a Cricket stadium situated in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Asgiriya Stadium is the private property of Trinity College, Kandy. It is around a 10 minute walk from the centre of the city. The venue would usually be used when an international team toured Sri Lanka for a Test...
against Australia in March 2004. Muralitharan also holds the record for scoring most runs in Test cricket while batting at the number 11 position.
Muralitharan currently holds the record for the most ducks
Duck (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a duck refers to a batsman's dismissal for a score of zero.-Origin of the term:The term is a shortening of the term "duck's egg", the latter being used long before Test cricket began...
(dismissals for zero) ever in international cricket (Tests, ODI's and Twenty20), with a total of 59 ducks.
Abuse in Australia
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
's statement that Muralitharan was a "chucker",
in 2004, Muralitharan indicated that he would skip future tours to Australia.
Tom Moody
Tom Moody
Thomas Masson Moody is a former Australian cricketer and coach of the Sri Lankan cricket team. Today he is the coach for the IPL team Kings XI Punjab...
, the former Sri Lanka coach and former Australian Test cricketer, said he was embarrassed by the derogatory reaction and negative attention directed towards Muttiah Muralitharan by Australian crowds. Moody stated that "As an Australian when I have been with the Sri Lankan team in Australia, or playing against them in the World Cup, it's the only situation we find in the whole of the cricketing world where we have this disgraceful slant on a cricketer".
During the 2008 CB series in Australia, some members of the Sri Lankan contingent including Muralitharan, were the target of an egg throwing incident in Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
. The Sri Lankan cricket selector Don Anurasiri
Don Anurasiri
Sangarange Don Anurasiri is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who played in 18 Tests and 45 ODIs from 1986 to 1998. He was a left-arm orthodox spinner who spent his career in and out of the national side....
was hit by an egg, while Muralitharan and two others were verbally abused by a car-load of people as they were walking from a restaurant back to the hotel.
Due to the incident taking place at night, it is unclear whether Muralitharan was indeed the target of the culprits. Even though the Australian coach of the Sri Lankan team, Trevor Bayliss
Trevor Bayliss
Trevor Harley Bayliss is a former coach of the Sri Lanka national cricket team. Bayliss is a former cricketer for New South Wales and a former coach...
, down-played the incident as "a non-event", Cricket Australia tightened security around the team. In response to this episode Muralitharan was quoted as saying "When you come to Australia, you expect such incidents".
At the conclusion of Muralitharan's test career cricket writer Rahul Bhattacharya summed up Muralitharan's trials thus:
"Murali is described often as a fox. This seems right. Unlike hedgehog bowlers who pursue one big idea, Murali, like a fox, had many ways of pursuit. Like a fox he did not hunt in a pack. Like a fox he was himself cruelly hunted for sport in some parts of the world. Fox hunting was banned a few years ago in England, but is still legal in Australia."
Retirement
On 7 July 2010, Muttiah Muralitharan formally announced his retirement from Test cricket at a media briefing in Colombo. He confirmed that the first Test Match against India due to commence on , 2010 would be his last, but indicated that he was willing to play One-Day Internationals if it was considered necessary leading up to the 2011 World Cup, which Sri Lanka will co-host. He identified Sri Lanka's World Cup win of 1996 as his greatest moment as a cricketer. He also stated that there were some regrets during his 19 year playing career. "Not winning Test Matches in South Africa, Australia and India are regrets. But I am sure we will win very soon."At the start of his last match
Indian cricket team in Sri Lanka in 2010
The Indian cricket team toured Sri Lanka, playing three Test matches from 18 July to 7 August 2010.-Squads:The squads of the four teams participating in the tournament were announced in early June by the respective cricket boards.-1st Test:-2nd Test:...
, Muralitharan was eight short of 800 wickets. At the fall of the ninth wicket of the Indian's second innings Muralitharan still needed one wicket to reach the milestone. After 90 minutes of resistance Muralitharan was able to dismiss the last Indian batsman Pragyan Ojha
Pragyan Ojha
Pragyan Prayish Ojha is an Indian cricketer. Debuting in first class cricket in 2004/05, Ojha is a left-arm spinner who has represented India at under-19 level....
on the last delivery of the over and his Test career. By doing so he became the first bowler to reach 800 wickets in Test cricket
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
. Sri Lanka won the match by 10 wickets, the seventh time they have done so and the second time they have done it against India.
Muralitharan formally announced his retirement from international cricket after 2011 Cricket World Cup co-hosted by Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka announcing "This World Cup will be my last outing. I am retiring totally from international cricket thereafter. My time is up. I've signed up to play for two years in IPL.
World records and achievements
Muttiah Muralitharan holds a number of world records, and several firsts:- The most Test wickets (800 wickets as of 2010).
- The most One-Day International wickets (534 wickets as of 2011).
- The highest number of international wickets in Tests, ODIs and T20s combined (1320 wickets as of 2010).
- The most 5-wicket hauls in an innings at Test level (67).
- The most 10-wicket hauls in a match at Test level (22). He is the only player to take 10 wickets/match against every Test playing nation.
- Fastest to 350, 400, 450, 500, 550, 600, 650, 700, 750 and 800 Test wickets, in terms of matches played (indeed the only bowler to exceed 708 wickets).
- Only player to take 10 wickets in a Test in four consecutive matches. He has achieved this feat twice.
- Only player to take 50 or more wickets against every Test playing nation.
- Muralitharan and Jim LakerJim LakerJames "Jim" Charles Laker was a cricketer who played for England in the 1950s, known for "Laker's match" in 1956 at Old Trafford, when he took nineteen wickets in England's victory against Australia...
(England), are the only bowlers to have taken 9 wickets in a Test innings twice. - 7 wickets in an innings against the most countries (5).
- Most Test wickets taken bowledBowledBowled is a method of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. This method of dismissal is covered by Law 30 of the Laws of cricket.A batsman is out bowled if his wicket is put down by a ball delivered by the bowler...
(157), stumped (41) and caught & bowled (31). Bowled by Muralitharan (b Muralitharan) is the most common dismissal in Test cricket (excluding run outRun outRun out is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. It is governed by Law 38 of the Laws of cricket.-The rules:A batsman is out Run out if at any time while the ball is in play no part of his bat or person is grounded behind the popping crease and his wicket is fairly put down by the opposing...
). - Most successful bowler/fielder (non-wicket keeper) combination – c. Mahela JayawardeneMahela JayawardeneDenagamage Proboth Mahela de Silva Jayawardene , known as Mahela Jayawardene, is the former captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team. He is a specialist batsman who has a Test average of over 50, and an ODI average in the 30s...
b. Muttiah Muralitharan (67). * Most Man of the Series awards in Test cricket (11). - One of only six bowlers who have dismissed all the eleven batsmen in a Test match. Jim LakerJim LakerJames "Jim" Charles Laker was a cricketer who played for England in the 1950s, known for "Laker's match" in 1956 at Old Trafford, when he took nineteen wickets in England's victory against Australia...
, Srinivasaraghavan VenkataraghavanSrinivasaraghavan VenkataraghavanSrinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan ; is a former Indian cricketer. He played for Derbyshire in English county cricket from 1973 to 1975. He played Test cricket for the Indian cricket team, and later became an umpire on the elite International Cricket Council Test panel...
, Geoff DymockGeoff DymockGeoffrey Dymock is a former Australian and Queensland cricketer. He played in 21 Tests and 15 One Day Internationals between 1974 and 1980. He was the third bowler to dismiss all eleven opposition players in a test match, and remains one of only six players to have achieved this unusual...
, Abdul QadirAbdul Qadir (cricketer)Abdul Qadir Khan is a former Pakistani international cricketer, later commentator and was recently the Chief Selector of Pakistan Cricket Board. He resigned from the post because of his differences with the top brass of Pakistan cricket board...
and Waqar YounisWaqar YounisWaqar Younis Maitla is a former Pakistani right arm fast bowler in cricket and widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time...
are the others. - Most Test wickets in a single ground. Muralitharan is the only bowler to capture 100-plus Test wickets at three venues, the Sinhalese Sports Club GroundSinhalese Sports Club GroundThe Sinhalese Sports Club is one of the most famous cricket grounds in Sri Lanka. It is theheadquarters of Sri Lanka Cricket, the controlling body of cricket in Sri Lanka. The Ground often cited as the Lord's of Sri Lanka, hosting most domestic finals and one of preeminent international cricket...
in Colombo, the Asgiriya StadiumAsgiriya StadiumAsgiriya International Stadium, is a Cricket stadium situated in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Asgiriya Stadium is the private property of Trinity College, Kandy. It is around a 10 minute walk from the centre of the city. The venue would usually be used when an international team toured Sri Lanka for a Test...
in Kandy and the Galle International StadiumGalle International StadiumGalle International Stadium is a cricket stadium in Galle, Sri Lanka, situated near the Galle fort and fringed on two sides by the Indian Ocean. It is considered to be one of the most picturesque cricket grounds in the world...
in Galle. - The only bowler to take 75 or more wickets in a calendar year on three occasions, achieving it in 2000, 2001 and 2006.
- Most ducksDuck (cricket)In the sport of cricket, a duck refers to a batsman's dismissal for a score of zero.-Origin of the term:The term is a shortening of the term "duck's egg", the latter being used long before Test cricket began...
(dismissals for zero) ever in international cricket (Tests+ODI's+Twenty20): 59 ducks total.
Wisden leading cricketer in the world
Man of match in Test cricket
| Table: Man of match in Test cricket | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muttiah Muralitharan has won 19 Man Of Match awards in Test cricket. | |||||||
| # | Date | Versus | Ground | Inns | Batting | Bowling | Catches |
| 1 | 15 September 1995 | Pakistan | Iqbal Stadium | 1st | *8 | 5 for 68 | 0 |
| 2nd | *10 | 2 for 83 | 2 | ||||
| 2 | 7 January 1998 | Zimbabwe | Asgiriya Stadium | 1st | 17 | 5 for 23 | 0 |
| 2nd | DNB | 7 for 94 | 0 | ||||
| 3 | 27 August 1998 | England | The Oval | 1st | 30 | 7 for 155 | 1 |
| 2nd | DNB | 9 for 65 | 0 | ||||
| 4 | 5 March 2000 | Pakistan | Arbab Niaz Stadium | 1st | 22 | 4 for 77 | 1 |
| 2nd | *2 | 6 for 71 | 0 | ||||
| 5 | 20 July 2000 | South Africa | Galle Stadium | 1st | *2 | 6 for 87 | 0 |
| 2nd | DNB | 7 for 84 | 1 | ||||
| 6 | 6 August 2000 | South Africa | Sinhalese Sports Gr | 1st | *0 | 3 for 70 | 0 |
| 2nd | DNB | 6 for 68 | 0 | ||||
| 7 | 29 August 2001 | India | Sinhalese Sports Gr | 1st | DNB | 8 for 87 | 0 |
| 2nd | DNB | 3 for 109 | 0 | ||||
| 8 | 6 September 2001 | Bangladesh | Sinhalese Sports Gr | 1st | DNB | 5 for 13 | 0 |
| 2nd | DNB | 5 for 98 | 1 | ||||
| 9 | 13 November 2001 | West Indies | Galle Stadium | 1st | 14 | 6 for 126 | 1 |
| 2nd | DNB | 5 for 44 | 2 | ||||
| 10 | 21 November 2001 | West Indies | Asgiriya Stadium | 1st | 4 | 4 for 54 | 0 |
| 2nd | DNB | 6 for 81 | 0 | ||||
| 11 | 4 January 2002 | Zimbabwe | Asgiriya Stadium | 1st | 1 | 9 for 51 | 0 |
| 2nd | DNB | 4 for 64 | 0 | ||||
| 12 | 21 July 2002 | Bangladesh | P Saravanamuttu Stad | 1st | 0 | 5 for 39 | 0 |
| 2nd | DNB | 5 for 59 | 0 | ||||
| 13 | 2 December 2003 | England | Galle Stadium | 1st | 38 | 7 for 46 | 0 |
| 2nd | 13 | 4 for 47 | 0 | ||||
| 14 | 2004 | Zimbabwe | Harare Sports Club | 1st | 26 | 6 for 45 | 1 |
| 2nd | DNB | 2 for 37 | 2 | ||||
| 15 | 12 September 2005 | Bangladesh | Premadasa Stadium | 1st | 3 | 3 for 42 | 0 |
| 2nd | DNB | 6 for 18 | 0 | ||||
| 16 | 2 June 2006 | England | Trent Bridge | 1st | 33 | 3 for 62 | 0 |
| 2nd | 2 | 8 for 70 | 0 | ||||
| 17 | 25 June 2007 | Bangladesh | Sinhalese Sports Gr | 1st | DNB | 5 for 15 | 1 |
| 2nd | DNB | 4 for 87 | 1 | ||||
| 18 | 11 July 2007 | Bangladesh | Asgiriya Stadium | 1st | DNB | 6 for 28 | 2 |
| 2nd | DNB | 6 for 54 | 0 | ||||
| 19 | 23 July 2008 | India | Sinhalese Sports Gr | 1st | DNB | 6 for 84 | 1 |
| 2nd | DNB | 6 for 26 | 0 | ||||
Man of match in one day internationals
| Table: Man of match in one day internationals | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muttiah Muralitharan has won 14 Man Of Match awards in one day internationals. | ||||||
| # | Date | Versus | Ground | Batting | Bowling | Catches |
| 1 | 12 August 1993 | India | Premadasa Stadium | DNB | 1 for 38 | 0 |
| 2 | 28 September 1996 | Kenya | Gymkhana Club Ground | DNB | 4 for 18 | 0 |
| 3 | 20 August 1998 | England | Lord's | DNB | 5 for 34 | 1 |
| 4 | 14 July 2000 | South Africa | Premadasa Stadium | DNB | 5 for 44 | 0 |
| 5 | 27 October 2000 | India | Sharjah Stadium | DNB | 7 for 30 | 1 |
| 6 | 31 January 2001 | New Zealand | McLean Park | *1 | 5 for 30 | 1 |
| 7 | 23 March 2001 | England | Rangiri Dambulla Std | DNB | 4 for 29 | 1 |
| 8 | 18 May 2003 | Pakistan | Rangiri Dambulla Std | 19 | 5 for 23 | 1 |
| 9 | 7 June 2003 | West Indies | Kensington Oval | 3 | 3 for 17 | 0 |
| 10 | 20 October 2006 | New Zealand | Brabourne Stadium | DNB | 4 for 23 | 0 |
| 11 | 23 March 2007 | India | Queen's Park | DNB | 3 for 41 | 2 |
| 12 | 20 November 2008 | Zimbabwe | Harare Sports Club | DNB | 4 for 14 | 0 |
| 13 | 30 November 2008 | Zimbabwe | Harare Sports Club | 5 | 5 for 29 | 0 |
| 14 | 30 July 2009 | Pakistan | Rangiri Dambulla Std | 32 | 2 for 46 | 1 |
Recognition
In 2002, WisdenWisden
The Wisden Group was a group of companies formed by John Wisden & Co Ltd, publishers of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. As well as John Wisden & Co, the group included the The Wisden Cricketer magazine, Cricinfo – the world's highest traffic cricket website – and the Hawk-Eye computerised...
carried out a statistical analysis of all Test matches in an effort to rate the greatest cricketers in history, and Muralitharan was ranked as the best Test bowler of all time. However, two years earlier, Muralitharan was not named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century
Wisden Cricketers of the Century
The Wisden Cricketers of the Century are five cricketers who were judged to be the most prominent players of the 20th century, as selected by a 100-member panel of cricket experts appointed by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2000...
. Former Australian captain Steve Waugh
Steve Waugh
Stephen Rodger "Steve" Waugh, AO is a former Australian cricketer and fraternal twin of cricketer Mark Waugh. A right-handed batsman, he was also a successful medium-pace bowler...
called him "the Don Bradman of bowling".
Muralitharan was selected as the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World
Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World
The Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World award was introduced in 2004 to complement the long-standing Wisden Cricketer of the Year awards, which are still given to five players each year....
in 2000 and in 2006.
On 15 November 2007, the Warne-Muralidaran Trophy was unveiled named after the two leading wicket-takers in Test cricket, Shane Warne and Muralitharan. The trophy displays images of the two spin bowlers' hands each holding a cricket ball. This trophy will be contested between Australia and Sri Lanka in all future Test series.
On 3 December 2007, just hours after Muttiah Muralitharan became Test cricket's leading Test wicket-taker, Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
(MCC) announced it had unveiled a portrait of the Sri Lanka off-spinner at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
. On the same day the Philatelic Bureau of the Department of Posts in Sri Lanka issued a circular stamp with a denomination of Rs. 5 to mark the world record set by Muttiah Muralitharan. The circular design was meant to denote the cricket ball.
Australian musician Alston Koch provoked worldwide interest when he recorded the only official tribute song to Muralitharan, the song was even mentioned on the BBC's Test Match Special. The Muralitharan Song video was also released after he broke the world record.
On 10 January 2008, the Parliament of Sri Lanka
Parliament of Sri Lanka
The Parliament of Sri Lanka is the 225-member unicameral legislature of Sri Lanka. The members of Parliament are elected by proportional representation for six-year terms, with universal suffrage. Parliament reserves the power to make all laws...
felicitated Muttiah Muralitharan for his world record breaking feat of being the highest wicket taker in Test cricket.
This is the first time that a sportsman has been honoured in the country's Supreme Legislature.
The Central Provincial Council in Kandy
Kandy
Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...
has decided to rename the International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
-ICC World Twenty20:Sri Lanka will host the 2012 ICC World Twenty20. Nine matches are due to play in Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. Other matches will be played in R...
after Muttiah Muralitharan.
Controversy of bowling action
Throughout much of his international career, Muralitharan's action has been suspected of contravening the laws of the gameLaws of cricket
The laws of cricket are a set of rules established by the Marylebone Cricket Club which describe the laws of cricket worldwide, to ensure uniformity and fairness. There are currently 42 laws, which outline all aspects of how the game is played from how a team wins a game, how a batsman is...
by the straightening of his bowling arm during delivery
Throwing (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, throwing, commonly referred to as chucking, is an illegal bowling action which occurs when a bowler straightens their arm when delivering the ball. The Laws of Cricket specify that a bowler's arm must be fully extended and rotated about the shoulder to impart velocity to...
. Although he has been cited three times, subsequent biomechanical testing led the ICC to clear him of the charge and permit him to continue bowling.
Biomechanical testing conducted on four occasions has fueled debate as to whether his action is in fact illegal or actually an illusion created by his allegedly unique ability to generate extra movement both at the shoulder as well the wrist enables him to bowl the doosra without straightening the elbow.
First throwing citation and testing
Initial concerns as to whether Muralitharan's action contravened the laws of the gameLaws of cricket
The laws of cricket are a set of rules established by the Marylebone Cricket Club which describe the laws of cricket worldwide, to ensure uniformity and fairness. There are currently 42 laws, which outline all aspects of how the game is played from how a team wins a game, how a batsman is...
by straightening his bowling arm during delivery
Throwing (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, throwing, commonly referred to as chucking, is an illegal bowling action which occurs when a bowler straightens their arm when delivering the ball. The Laws of Cricket specify that a bowler's arm must be fully extended and rotated about the shoulder to impart velocity to...
broke into open controversy after Australian umpire
Umpire (cricket)
In cricket, an umpire is a person who has the authority to make judgements on the cricket field, according to the Laws of Cricket...
Darrell Hair
Darrell Hair
Darrell Bruce Hair is an Australian former Test match cricket umpire, from New South Wales. He stood on the Emirates International panel of umpires from 2002 to 2003, before he, along with fellow Australian Simon Taufel, and New Zealander Billy Bowden, was appointed to the ICC Elite umpire panel...
called a "no ball
No ball
In the sport of cricket a no ball is a penalty against the fielding team, usually as a result of an illegal delivery by the bowler. The delivery of a no ball results in one run to be added to the batting team's score, and an additional ball must be bowled...
" for an illegal action seven times during the Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
Test match in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia, in 1995. Australian Sir Donald Bradman
Donald Bradman
Sir Donald George Bradman, AC , often referred to as "The Don", was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time...
, universally regarded as the greatest batsman in history, was later quoted as saying it was the "worst example of umpiring that [he had] witnessed, and against everything the game stands for. Clearly Murali does not throw the ball".
Ten days later, on 5 January 1996, Sri Lanka played the West Indies in the seventh ODI of the triangular World Series competition, in Brisbane. Umpire Ross Emerson
Ross Emerson
Ross Alexander Emerson was an international cricket umpire from Australia who is best known for calling Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing. He also played grade cricket for Petersham-Marrickville in the Sydney grade cricket competition...
officiating in his debut international match, no-balled Muralitharan three times in his first over, twice in his second and twice in his third. It was an identical tally to that called by Hair on Boxing Day and (like Hair) Emerson made his calls from the bowler's end while his partner stood silent. The main difference was that several no-balls were for leg-breaks instead of the bowler's normal off-breaks.
In February 1996, just before the world cup Muralitharan underwent biomechanical analysis at the Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
University of Science and Technology under the supervision of Prof. Ravindra Goonetilleke, who declared his action legal in the conditions tested, citing a congenital defect in Muralitharan's arm which makes him incapable of fully straightening it, but giving the appearance of fully straightening the arm. Although under the original Laws a bowler's arm did not need to be fully straightened to be in breach of a legal delivery. They concluded that his action created the 'optical illusion of throwing'. Based on this evidence ICC gave clearance to Muralitharan to continue bowling.
Second citation and testing
Doubts about Muralitharan's action persisted however, on the 1998–99 tour to Australia he was once again called for throwing by Ross Emerson during a One Day International against England at the Adelaide OvalAdelaide Oval
The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...
in Australia. The Sri Lankan team almost abandoned the match, but after instructions from the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka, the game resumed. The Sri Lankan captain at the time Arjuna Ranatunga
Arjuna Ranatunga
Arjuna Ranatunga is a retired Sri Lankan cricketer and politician. He was the captain of Sri Lankan cricket team, and led them to an unbeaten title-winning campaign at the 1996 Cricket World Cup...
, was later fined and given a suspended ban from the game as a result. It later emerged that at the time of this match Emerson was on sick leave from his non-cricket job due to a stress-related illness and he stood down for the rest of the series. Muralitharan was sent for further tests in Perth and England and was cleared again. At no stage was Muralitharan requested to change or remodel his action, by the ICC. Up to this point in his career (1999) Muralitharan primarily bowled two types of deliveries, namely the off-break and the topspinner
Topspinner
A top-spinner is a type of delivery bowled by a cricketer bowling either wrist spin or finger spin. In either case, the bowler imparts the ball with top spin by twisting it with his or her fingers prior to delivery...
. He had not yet mastered the doosra.
Third citation and testing
Muralitharan continued bowling, taking his 500th Test wicket in the second Test against Australia in Kandy on 2004. At the end of the series his doosraDoosra
A doosra is a particular type of delivery by an off-spin bowler in the sport of cricket, invented by Pakistani cricketer Saqlain Mushtaq. The term means " second ", or " other " in Urdu...
delivery was officially called into question by match referee Chris Broad
Chris Broad
Brian Christopher Broad, usually known as Chris Broad is a former England Test cricketer and current Test official. An opening batsman, Broad had a 25-match long international Test career during which he hit six centuries, together with 34 One Day International matches with a respectable over 40...
. At the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
(Department of Human Movement and Exercise Science), three-dimensional kinematic measurements of Muttiah Muralitharan's bowling arm were taken using an optical motion capture system while he bowled his doosra. Muralitharan's mean elbow extension angle for the doosra delivery was 14°, which was subsequently reduced to a mean of 10.2° after remedial training at the University. The findings reported to ICC by the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
's study was that Muralitharan's doosra contravened the established ICC elbow extension limit of 5° for spinners.
Under the original throwing Laws of Cricket, the umpires officiating were under an obligation to call "no-ball" to a delivery that they were not entirely happy was absolutely fair. This Law gave the umpires absolutely no discretion. In 2000, the Laws were changed to put an allowable figure of straightening of 5° for spinners, 7.5° for medium pacers and 10° for fast bowlers in an attempt to more clearly define what was legal. But these figures proved difficult to enforce due to umpires being unable to discern actual amounts of straightening and the differentiation between the three different allowable figures. Testing in Test Match conditions is not currently possible "when the identification of elbow and shoulder joint centres in on-field data collection, where a shirt is worn, also involves large errors. In a match the ability to differentiate anatomical movements such as 'elbow extension' by digitising segment end-points, particularly if you have segment rotations, is extremely difficult and prone to error. This is certainly the case with spin bowlers. It is therefore not surprising that laboratory testing is preferred, particularly for spin bowlers, where an appropriate pitch length and run-up can be structured. This is clearly the only way to test players, where data would be able to withstand scientific and therefore legal scrutiny."
An extensive ICC study, the results of which were released in November 2004, was conducted to investigate the "chucking issue". A laboratory kinematic analysis of 42 non-Test playing bowlers done by Ferdinands and Kersting (2004) established that the 5° limit for slow and spin bowlers was particularly impractical.
Due to the overwhelming scientific findings, researchers recommended that a flat rate of 15° tolerable elbow extension be used to define a preliminary demarcation point between bowling and throwing. A panel of former Test players consisting of Aravinda de Silva
Aravinda de Silva
Pinnaduwage Aravinda de Silva is a former Sri Lankan cricketer, who is considered one of the finest batsmen produced by the country.He is also regarded as one of the most elegant batsman in his generation, and to date is the only player to make a hundred and take 3 or more wickets in a world cup...
, Angus Fraser
Angus Fraser
Angus Robert Charles Fraser is the current Managing Director of Cricket of Middlesex County Cricket Club, and a former English cricketer and journalist....
, Michael Holding
Michael Holding
Michael Anthony Holding is a former West Indian cricketer. One of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket, he was nicknamed 'Whispering Death' by umpires due to his quiet approach to the bowling crease...
, Tony Lewis
Tony Lewis
Anthony Robert Lewis CBE is a former Welsh cricketer, who went on to become the face of BBC Television cricket coverage in the 1990s, and become president of the MCC. Lewis attended Christ's College, Cambridge and played for Cambridge University. He also played county cricket for Glamorgan, and...
, Tim May
Tim May
Timothy Brian Alexander May is a former cricketer for South Australia and Australia, who is currently a leading players' representative in his role as Chief Executive of the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations...
and the ICC's Dave Richardson, with the assistance of several biomechanical experts, stated that 99% of all bowlers in the history of cricket straighten their arms when bowling. Only one player tested (part-time bowler Ramnaresh Sarwan
Ramnaresh Sarwan
Ramnaresh Ronnie Sarwan is a West Indian cricketer of Indo-Guyanese origin and a member of the West Indies cricket team....
) reportedly did not transgress the pre 2000 rules. Many of these reports have controversially not been published and as such, the 99% figure stated has yet to be proved. In fact, Muralitharan stirred up controversy when he said during an interview with a Melbourne radio station that Jason Gillespie
Jason Gillespie
Jason Neil Gillespie is an Australian cricketer who formerly represented Australia at international level, in both Tests and One Day Internationals, and South Australia, Yorkshire and Glamorgan at first-class level. His primary role is as a right-arm fast-medium bowler, but he is also a competent...
, Glenn McGrath
Glenn McGrath
Glenn Donald McGrath AM , nicknamed "Pigeon", is a former Australian cricket player. He is one of the most highly regarded fast-medium pace bowlers in cricketing history, and a leading contributor to Australia's domination of world cricket from the mid-1990s to the early 21st century...
and Brett Lee
Brett Lee
Brett Lee is an Australian cricketer.After breaking into the Australian Test team, Lee was recognised as one of the fastest bowlers in world cricket...
flexed their arms by 12, 13 and 14–15 degrees respectively, although it is unclear as to where Muralitharan quoted these figures from. Muralitharan was censured by the Sri Lankan Cricket Board for these comments.
The ICC Executive was asked to ratify the panel's recommendations at the ICC's Annual General Meeting in February 2005. Based on the recommendations the ICC issued a new guideline (which was effective from 2005) allowing for extensions or hyperextensions of up to 15 degrees for all types of bowlers, thus deeming Muralitharan's doosra to be legal.
Explaining why the maximum level of 15 degrees was arrived at, panel member Angus Fraser
Angus Fraser
Angus Robert Charles Fraser is the current Managing Director of Cricket of Middlesex County Cricket Club, and a former English cricketer and journalist....
stated "That is the number which biomechanics
Sports biomechanics
Sports biomechanics is a quantitative based study and analysis of professional athletes and sports' activities in general. It can simply be described as the Physics of Sports...
says that it (straightening) becomes visible. It is difficult for the naked eye to see less than 15 degrees in a bowler's action. We found when the biceps reached the shoulder the amount of bend was around 165 degrees. Very few bowlers can get to 180 degrees because the joint doesn't allow that. ... but once you go further than 15 degrees you get into an area which is starting to give you an unfair advantage and you are breaking the law".
University of South Australia study
The original decision of disallowing the doosra bowling action was hailed widely as justifiable on account of being scientifically based. Hence, a team of Australian scientists representing the University of South AustraliaUniversity of South Australia
The University of South Australia is a public university in the Australian state of South Australia. It was formed in 1991 with the merger of the South Australian Institute of Technology and Colleges of Advanced Education. It is the largest university in South Australia, with more than 36,000...
conducted an independent research, in line with modern Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
and biomechanics
Sports biomechanics
Sports biomechanics is a quantitative based study and analysis of professional athletes and sports' activities in general. It can simply be described as the Physics of Sports...
in order to solve the controversial issue arise from doosra. The University of South Australia
University of South Australia
The University of South Australia is a public university in the Australian state of South Australia. It was formed in 1991 with the merger of the South Australian Institute of Technology and Colleges of Advanced Education. It is the largest university in South Australia, with more than 36,000...
's study, founded by Prof. Mahinda Pathegama, and contributed by Prof. Ozdemir Gol, Prof. J. Mazumdar, Prof. Tony Worsley and Prof. Lakmi Jain has analyzed the previous studies with close scrutiny since the techniques in their fields of expertise are employed in the course of assessment as the basis for decision-making. The findings based on this scientific study are overwhelming and Dave Richardson, General Manager ICC stated that the ICC is currently reviewing the Law on throwing and the ICC regulations and the study done by Prof. Mahinda Pathegama with UniSA scientists is a valuable source of information in this regard. The team of Australian scientists including Sri Lankan-born Australian scientist, Prof. Mahinda Pathegama reporting their findings, in line with the Muralitharan test to ICC, has analyzed in-depth various issues, such as Pitfalls in image interpretation when using 2D images for 3D modeling associates compared to the modern techniques in Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
and biomechanics
Sports biomechanics
Sports biomechanics is a quantitative based study and analysis of professional athletes and sports' activities in general. It can simply be described as the Physics of Sports...
, and Biomechanics
Sports biomechanics
Sports biomechanics is a quantitative based study and analysis of professional athletes and sports' activities in general. It can simply be described as the Physics of Sports...
assessment for doosra bowling action, etc. Pathegama at al. (2004) further reports on the Disagreement of expression on measurement accuracy in the Murali Report, with the analysis of the Motion tracking system used for the Murali Report, and discussing Cognitive aspects, Evidence of errors in Anthropometric assessment and movement tracking, Lateral inhibition in response tracking, Psycho-physiological aspect on post-assessments, Angular measurement errors, Skin marker induced errors, Geometrics-and physics-based 3D modeling and the Approach to on-field assessment, etc.
The Muralitharan Report produced by the University of Western Australia's study has considered the Richards study done in 1999 to evaluate the error margin. University of South Australia
University of South Australia
The University of South Australia is a public university in the Australian state of South Australia. It was formed in 1991 with the merger of the South Australian Institute of Technology and Colleges of Advanced Education. It is the largest university in South Australia, with more than 36,000...
's study done by Prof. Mahinda Pathegama argued that the Richards study which was presented by the University of Western Australia's study has used a rigid aluminium bar that only rotated in the horizontal plane to introduce such error margin. Pathegama's report stated that "in view of the system used in the test itself yielding considerable error even with a rigid aluminum bar (an accuracy level of approximately 4 degrees as stated in the Murali Report), it stands to reason that the error margin would be considerably larger when tracking skin markers on a spin bowler's moving upper limb by this same system".
Vincent Barnes in an interview argues that Bruce Elliott, the UWA professor who is also the ICC biomechanist, had made an interesting discovery in his dealings with finger spinners. "He said he had found that a lot of bowlers from the subcontinent could bowl the doosra legally, but not Caucasian bowlers."
Fourth round of testing
On 2 February 2006, Muralitharan underwent a fourth round of biomechanical testing. There had been criticism that the previous round of tests in July 2004 did not replicate match conditions due to a slower bowling speed in the laboratory tests. The results showed that the average elbow flexation while bowling the 'doosra' delivery was 12.2 degrees, at an average of 53.75 mph (86 km/h). The average for his off-break was 12.9 degrees at 59.03 mph (99.45 km/h).Bowling with an arm brace
In July 2004 Muralitharan was filmed in England, bowling with an arm brace on. The film was shown on Britain's Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
during the Test against England on 2004. The documentary is not available for purchase and has not been aired in Australia.
Initially, Muralitharan bowled three balls – the off-spinner, the top-spinner and the doosra – as he would in a match. Then he bowled the same three balls with a brace that is made from steel bars, which are set into strong resin. This brace has been moulded to his right arm, is approximately 46 centimetres long and weighs just under 1 kilogram.
TV presenter Mark Nicholas
Mark Nicholas
Mark Charles Jefford Nicholas is a cricket commentator and former player. He played for Hampshire from 1978 to 1995, captaining them from 1985 to his retirement....
who tried the brace himself, confirmed that "There is no way an arm can be bent, or flexed, when it is in this brace." All three balls reacted in the same way as when bowled without the brace. They were not bowled quite so fast because the weight of the brace restricts the speed of Muralitharan's shoulder rotation, but the spin was still there.
With the brace on, there still appeared to be a jerk in his action. When studying the film at varying speeds, it still appeared as if he straightened his arm, even though the brace makes it impossible to do so. His unique shoulder rotation and amazing wrist action seem to create the illusion that he straightens his arm.
The off-spinner said the exercise was to convince a sceptical public rather than sway an ICC investigation into bowling actions launched after he was reported by match referee Chris Broad
Chris Broad
Brian Christopher Broad, usually known as Chris Broad is a former England Test cricketer and current Test official. An opening batsman, Broad had a 25-match long international Test career during which he hit six centuries, together with 34 One Day International matches with a respectable over 40...
for his doosra delivery in March 2004, the third time action has been taken on his bowling. In an interview for August 2004 edition of Wisden Asia Cricket
Wisden Asia Cricket
Wisden Asia Cricket was a monthly English language cricket magazine produced by the British based cricket publishing company Wisden. It is a sister publication to the British focused The Wisden Cricketer...
, Muralitharan stated "I think it will prove a point to those who had said that it was physically impossible to bowl a ball that turned the other way. I proved that it was possible to bowl the doosra without bending the arm."
In 2004 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Muralitharan voluntarily performed a series of tests with live video cameras. Michael Slater
Michael Slater
Michael Jonathon Slater is a former Australian cricketer who played in 74 Tests and 42 ODIs for the Australian cricket team from 1993 to 2001...
and Ravi Shastri
Ravi Shastri
Ravishankar Jayadritha Shastri is a former Indian cricketer and captain. He was an all–rounder who batted right-handed and bowled left arm spin. His international career started when he was 18 years old and lasted for 12 years...
witnessed it all unfold. Muralitharan once again showed he could bowl all his deliveries including the doosra with an arm brace that prevents any straightening of his elbow. Orthopediatrician Dr Mandeep Dillon stated that Muralitharan's unusual ability to generate extra movement both at the shoulder as well the wrist enables him to bowl the doosra without straightening the elbow.
Critics and converts
Two vocal critics of Muralitharan's action have been former Test cricketers, Australian Dean JonesDean Jones (cricketer)
Dean Mervyn Jones AM is a retired Australian cricketer, and is presently a coach. He also worked as a media commentator.-Career:...
and Bishan Bedi, the former Indian captain. Dean Jones later admitted to being wrong in his assessment of Murali when he witnessed first hand Murali bowling with an arm-brace on.
Michael Holding
Michael Holding
Michael Anthony Holding is a former West Indian cricketer. One of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket, he was nicknamed 'Whispering Death' by umpires due to his quiet approach to the bowling crease...
, the former West Indian fast bowler was also a critic of Muralitharan, but withdrew his criticisms under the light of the tests carried out. Holding had been quoted as being in "110% agreement" with Bedi, who likened Murali's action to a "javelin throw" and more recently, compared to a "shot putter". Following the ICC study, as a member of the panel that conducted the study, Holding stated, "The scientific evidence is overwhelming ... When bowlers who to the naked eye look to have pure actions are thoroughly analysed with the sophisticated technology now in place, they are likely to be shown as straightening their arm by 11 and in some cases 12 degrees. Under a strict interpretation of the Law, these players are breaking the rules. The game needs to deal with this reality and make its judgment as to how it accommodates this fact."
In May 2002, Adam Gilchrist
Adam Gilchrist
Adam Craig Gilchrist AM , nicknamed "Gilly" or "Churchy", is an Australian international cricketer who currently captains Kings XI Punjab and recently captained Middlesex. He is an attacking left-handed batsman and record-breaking wicket-keeper, who redefined the role for the Australian national...
, speaking at a Carlton (Australian) Football Club luncheon, claimed Muralitharan's action does not comply with the Laws of cricket. The Melbourne-based Age newspaper quoted Gilchrist as saying."Yeah, I think he does (chuck), and I say that because, if you read the Laws of the game, there's no doubt in my mind that he and many others, throughout cricket history have." These comments were made before the doosra controversy, in spite of Muralitharan's action having been cleared by ICC in both 1996 and 1999. For his comment Gilchrist was reprimanded by the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) and found guilty of being in breach of ACB rules concerned with "detrimental public comment".
During the 2006 tour of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
another Muralitharan critic, former New Zealand captain and cricket commentator Martin Crowe
Martin Crowe
Martin David Crowe is a former New Zealand cricketer. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1985, and was credited as one of the "best young batsmen in the world". Crowe represented New Zealand from the early 1980s until his retirement in 1996 as a right-handed batsman...
, called for Muralitharan's doosra to be monitored more closely, asserting that his action seemed to deteriorate during a match. Earlier that year when delivering the Cowdrey lecture at Lords Martin Crowe
Martin Crowe
Martin David Crowe is a former New Zealand cricketer. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1985, and was credited as one of the "best young batsmen in the world". Crowe represented New Zealand from the early 1980s until his retirement in 1996 as a right-handed batsman...
had demanded zero tolerance instead of 15 degrees for throwing and specifically branded Muttiah Muralitharan a chucker. In response to Crowe's criticism ICC general manager Dave Richardson stated that the scientific evidence presented by biomechanists Professor Bruce Elliot, Dr Paul Hurrion and Mr Marc Portuswith was overwhelming and clarified that "Some bowlers, even those not suspected of having flawed actions, were found likely to be straightening their arms by 11 or 12 degrees. And at the same time, some bowlers that may appear to be throwing may be hyper-extending or bowl with permanently bent elbows. Under a strict interpretation of the law, they were breaking the rules – but if we ruled out every bowler that did that then there would be no bowlers left."
Scientific research on bowling actions
Since 1999 there has been a number of scientific research publications discussing the Muralitharan's bowling action as well the need for defining the legality of a bowling action using biomechanical concepts. This research has directly contributed towards the official acceptance of Muralitharan's bowling action and has convinced the ICC to redefine the bowling laws in cricket.The key publications are listed below:
- Elliot, B.C., Alderson, J., Reid, S. and Foster, D. (2004). Bowling Report of Muttiah Muralitharan.
- Ferdinands, R.E.D. (2004). Three-dimensional biomechanical analysis of bowling in cricket. PhD Thesis, University of Waikato.
- Ferdinands, R.E.D. and Kersting, U.G. (2004). Elbow Angle Extension and implecation for the legality of the bowling action in Cricket. In A McIntosh (Ed.), Proceedings of Australasian Biomechanic Conference 5 ( – 10), University of New South Wales, Sydney, pp. 26–27.
- Ferdinands, R.E.D. and Kersting, U.G. (2007). An evaluation of biomechanical measures of bowling action legality in cricket. Sports BiomechanicsSports biomechanicsSports biomechanics is a quantitative based study and analysis of professional athletes and sports' activities in general. It can simply be described as the Physics of Sports...
, Volume 6, Issue 2007, pages 315–333 - Goonetilleke, R.S. (1999). Legality of bowling actions in cricket. Ergonomics, 42 (10), 1386–1397.
- Lloyd, D. G., Alderson, J. and Elliot, B.C. (2000). An upper limb kinematic for the examination of cricket bowling: A case study of Muttiah Muralitharan. Journal of Sports Sciences, 18, 975–982.
- Marshall, R. and Ferdinands R. (2003). The effect of a flexed elbow on bowling speed in circket. Sports BiomechanicsSports biomechanicsSports biomechanics is a quantitative based study and analysis of professional athletes and sports' activities in general. It can simply be described as the Physics of Sports...
, 2(1), 65–71. - Pathegama, M., Göl, Ö, Mazumdar, J., Winefield, T. and Jain, L (2003) 'Use of imprecise biomedical image analysis and anthropometric assessment in biomechanicsSports biomechanicsSports biomechanics is a quantitative based study and analysis of professional athletes and sports' activities in general. It can simply be described as the Physics of Sports...
with particular reference to competitive cricket', UniSA Scientific Study, SEIE, University of South AustraliaUniversity of South AustraliaThe University of South Australia is a public university in the Australian state of South Australia. It was formed in 1991 with the merger of the South Australian Institute of Technology and Colleges of Advanced Education. It is the largest university in South Australia, with more than 36,000...
, Australia. - Pathegama, M. and Göl, Ö (2004) 'Special Report on the Controversial doosra bowling action based on UniSA scientific study: As per the invitation made by David Richardson, General Manager, ICC), EIE, University of South AustraliaUniversity of South AustraliaThe University of South Australia is a public university in the Australian state of South Australia. It was formed in 1991 with the merger of the South Australian Institute of Technology and Colleges of Advanced Education. It is the largest university in South Australia, with more than 36,000...
, Australia. - Portus, M., Mason, B., Rath, D. and Rosemond, C. (2003). Fast bowling arm actions and the illegal delivery law in men's high performance cricket matches. Science and Medicine in Cricket. R. Stretch, T. Noakes and C. Vauhan (Eds.), Com Press, Ports Elizabeth, South Africa, pp. 41–54.
Philanthropy
Muralitharan, along with his manager Kushil Gunasekara, established the Foundation of Goodness, a charity organization, in the early 2000s. This organization is committed to the wellbeing of the Seenigama region (in southern Sri Lanka) and supports local communities through a range of projects across areas including children's needs, education and training, health care and psycho-social support, housing, livelihoods, sport and the environment. Murali’s Seenigama project raised funds from cricketers and administrators in England and Australia. Canadian pop-star Bryan AdamsBryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
donated a swimming pool.
Muralitharan also plans to build a second sports complex for war-displaced civilians in Mankulam, a town located 300 kilometers from north of Colombo. The two-year one million dollar project aims to build a sports center, a school, English and IT training centers and an Elders' home. While the Sports Complex remains the main project, Foundation of Goodness also plans to help educate children, youth and adults. English cricketer Sir Ian Botham
Ian Botham
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
visited Mankulam with Muralitharan, and later addressing the media in Colombo on 27 March 2011 said that he will consider a walk from Point Pedro
Point Pedro
Point Pedro is the northernmost town of the island of Sri Lanka. The agriculturally active area around Point Pedro with fertile calcic red latosols is known for its cotton production. The eastern coast of Point Pedro is a 3-mile-broad beach with huge sand dunes up to 100 feet height, extending...
(the extreme northern tip of Sri Lanka) to Dondra Head
Dondra Head
Dondra Head is a cape on the extreme southern tip of Sri Lanka, in the Indian Ocean, near the small town of Dondra near Galle, Southern Province, Sri Lanka...
(the extreme southern tip of Sri Lanka) to raise funds for the project.
In June 2004, Muralitharan also joined the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
World Food Program as an ambassador to fight hunger among school children.
When the tsunami
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
devastated Sri Lanka on 2004, Muralitharan galvanised into action to ensure that aid reached people that needed it. He himself narrowly escaped death, arriving 20 minutes late at Seenigama, where he was to give away prizes at one of the charity projects he worked on. While international agencies were bringing food in by air, there was an urgent need for transport, and Murali organised three convoys of 10 trucks each, paying for these himself, to get the food to people who needed it. He persuaded those who could to donate clothes, and supervised the delivery himself.
During the hard work of rehabilitation in the tsunami's aftermath, cement was in short supply. Muralitharan promptly signed an endorsement deal with Lafarge, a global cement giant, that was a straight barter, where cement would be supplied to the Foundation for Goodness in exchange for work Muralitharan did. During the first three years since the tsunami, the foundation raised more than US$ to help survivors, and has built homes, schools, sports facilities and computer centres.
Product and brand endorsements
- Mobitel (Sri Lanka)Mobitel (Sri Lanka)Mobitel Ltd. is a mobile phone network in Sri Lanka. It is wholly owned by Sri Lanka Telecom . The network offers a variety of services and currently operates a GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSPA network utilising 3.5G technology. Mobitel was the first 3.5G operator in Sri Lanka and South Asia. It covers...
: 2008 – present - Indian Oil CorporationIndian Oil CorporationIndian Oil Corporation Limited, or IndianOil, is an Indian state-owned oil and gas corporation with its headquarters are in Mumbai, India. It is India’s largest commercial enterprise, ranked 98th on the Fortune Global 500 list for 2011...
: 2004–2005 - Janashakthi Insurance: 2004–2008
- Ceylinco ConsolidatedCeylinco ConsolidatedCeylinco Consolidated is one of Sri Lanka's oldest and largest business conglomerates.The original company was founded by Mr. Hugh Weerasekere and Cyril E. S. Perera QC named "Ceylon Insurance Co." listed late 1938-39....
– Ceylinco Life: 2008 – present - Western UnionWestern UnionThe Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...
: 2006–2008 - KFCKFCKFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
: 2008 – present - ReebokReebokReebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
brand ambassador – present - Royal Stag
- Peter England (with CSK team)
- QNet’s Brand Ambassador: Mr Muttiah Muralidaran (http://blog.qnet.net/2010/07/congratulations-to-qnets-brand-ambassador-muralidaran-for-reaching-new-heights/)
See also
- Wisden Leading Cricketer in the WorldWisden Leading Cricketer in the WorldThe Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World award was introduced in 2004 to complement the long-standing Wisden Cricketer of the Year awards, which are still given to five players each year....
- List of international cricket five-wicket hauls by Muttiah Muralitharan
- DoosraDoosraA doosra is a particular type of delivery by an off-spin bowler in the sport of cricket, invented by Pakistani cricketer Saqlain Mushtaq. The term means " second ", or " other " in Urdu...
- List of international cricketers called for throwing
- List of cricketers called for throwing in major cricket matches in Australia
- Throwing (cricket)Throwing (cricket)In the sport of cricket, throwing, commonly referred to as chucking, is an illegal bowling action which occurs when a bowler straightens their arm when delivering the ball. The Laws of Cricket specify that a bowler's arm must be fully extended and rotated about the shoulder to impart velocity to...
- List of World XI ODI cricketers
- List of Asian XI ODI cricketers
- World Cricket Tsunami AppealWorld Cricket Tsunami AppealThe World Cricket Tsunami Appeal was an effort by the International Cricket Council to raise funds to support the humanitarian relief efforts following the Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004. It was scheduled to be held over two games but was reduced to one due to an over-crowded...
- Ron FlatterRon FlatterRonald Allen "Ron" Flatter is an American and Australian radio broadcaster based in New York. He is currently a national news anchor for Fox News Radio in New York, and a sportscaster for Sport 927 in Melbourne, Australia. He was until September 2010 a radio sportscaster for WEPN, ESPN New...
External links
- Muralitharan.com
- CricInfo Player Profile: Muttiah Muralitharan
- Muttiah Muralitharan International Fan Club
- Alston Koch's Murali Song Video
- Murali Tracker
- Muralitharan.cricket-records.com
- Murali's throwing controversy was resolved at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
- TimeLine: Muttiah Muralitharan
- Muralitharan.org
- Murali BigStarCricket
- Muttiah Muralitharan 800th Test Wicket Celebrations- Pictures
- Bowling Report Testing Muralitharan's Doosra
- Video: Muttiah Muralitharan 3D Reconstruction of bowling action