Muttiah Muralitharan

If ever cricket could be likened to rocket science, the most difficult equation would be Muralitharan’s off spinners. A touch of perfection and imperfection all in one right hand, the swirl of which makes people literally dance to his tune. Adulation will pour in for a long time to come, as the diminutive wizard decided to finish his career in the longest form of the game.792 wickets and fast approaching 800, Murali has been nothing short of breath taking. A world cup adorns his trophy cabinet along with the countless man of the match medals and gratitude from fellow Sri Lankans for his breath taking performances. Perhaps, no other player in the world has polarized opinions about their performances than Muttiah Muralitharan. After bamboozling a large number of batsmen, it is a shame that people still give him brickbats.

The perennial debate of the greatest spinner to take the field – Shane Warne or Muralitharan will never be answered. Innings after innings, match after match, Muralitharan has stepped up. Be it the rampage against England in The Oval or his magic against India’s batting order in Kandy in 2001, Murali showed the world why he is the best. Daryll Hair may have marred his image partially, but through his rectitude he showed that he has never played it the wrong way. A smiling man, every time he takes to the field, Murali has managed to make more friends than foes. The spinning department worldwide is suffering from lack of potent forces,  Murali will probably remain as the last big thing for some time to come. 750 plus wickets is by no means an easy task and the remarkable way in which he retrenches the opposition’s scoring rate has defined his career. When batsmen were slowly picking up his monstrous off-spinners, he brought out an all new ‘Brahmastra’ – The Doosra. It made an unplayable player even more unplayable. Humility is what his opponents find as his biggest trait. The greatest of the players always possessed it. Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Muralitharan. Being a vital cog of the Sri Lankan set up for around  17 years, it is no surprise that the selectors want to preserve him for the upcoming World cup. An inspiration for spinners worldwide, Murali has smiled his way into the record books and into the people’s hearts.

By: Anerudh Balaji

Tags: Cricket, Muttiah Muralitharan, Sports, Sri Lanka