14 Thursday 8th July, 2010 The critics will never he has. His right arm remains Some of the statis- accept him but the Test permanently bent, the flexibility tics are staggering. and rotation of his wrist beyond feats of the retiring the norm. It is why those who Sri Lanka spinner will On 66 occasions, he imitate him actually do break the has taken five wick- bounds of legality. never be mastered. The degree of spin he gains ets in an innings, as a result of a combination of finger manipulation and wrist BY MIKE SELVEY compared to has been extraordinary, way Warne’s 37. He has beyond that achievable by those o cricketer can ever have who are finger spinners alone. courted controversy or managed 10 wickets And when the spin became so Nsplit public opinion quite in a match 22 times vast yet predictable that batsmen as much as Muttiah began to learn how to play him, Muralitharan. To some he has and to place this in he developed the top spinner and been a genius, throughout the context, only 11 then the “doosra”, the other one, past two decades a worthy coun- a delivery bowled with the same terpoint and rival to Shane bowlers have man- action but which turns away Warne for the title of supreme aged more five-wick- from the right-hander. spin bowler. To others, though, he With it came the sort of clam- has been a cheat, a “chucker” in et innings than this. our that had greeted first sight- the words of John Howard, the Twice – in 2001, ings of him. It is, critics will say, former Australian prime minis- physically impossible to bowl as ter, whose bid to become presi- against India, he does without a jerk in the dent of the International Cricket Muttiah Muralitharan Bangladesh and action, to which the response is Council has foundered not least celebrates after breaking that it is possible, but only to on the back of the antipathy such West Indies and Shane Warne’s record for someone who has Murali’s freak- a statement might have caused in most wickets in Test cricket. again in 2006 ish attributes. In 1995, in Sri Lanka. Melbourne, in what appeared a There has even been debate against England premeditated and arbitrary act, about how to spell and pro- and South Africa – the umpire Darrell Hair called nounced his name, something to him for throwing and, not for the which Australia’s Channel 9 in he took 10 wickets in last time, sparked an internation- particular barely paid lip-service. four successive al cricket incident. He was no- Murali pretty much just grinned balled again during the subse- and said do as you wish. Such matches. quent one-day series. things were not worth fighting He underwent the indignity of over for someone who had spent gle bowler. biomechanical analysis at the his life as a Tamil in a country in He did not carry the Sri University of Western Australia which they were marginalised, or Lanka attack for the bulk of his and the University of Hong who did so much to raise funds in career, until his shoulder began Kong, both of which concluded the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami to object and a little of the fizz that his action created the “opti- that lay waste the south of the Murali merits went out of him – he was the Sri cal illusion of throwing”. It island. To criticise a genuine Lanka attack. Murali would occu- failed to end the controversy – he humanitarian at such times py one end until play was done. was no-balled three years later by seems petty. Only his record against Ross Emerson and in 2004 report- It is 46 years since Fred Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, 176 ed by the match referee Chris Trueman became the first to take wickets from 25 matches, dimin- Broad. 300 Test wickets and pronounce ishes him compared to Warne, From this, though, came not that if anyone else managed it his place in history who took only 17 from three the continued vilification of they would be “bloody knack- games. Murali but, with the aid of mod- ered”. Quite what Trueman Often it is a unique method ern technology, the recognition would have made of Murali’s Galle is not a bad place for a ing a ground that brought him India, Bangladesh and West that elevates a sportsman above that almost all bowlers to a relentless march does not bear final hurrah (if indeed it proves 103 of his wickets at a rate of Indies and again in 2006 against his contemporaries and Murali greater or lesser degree fail to thinking about. He will go to to be – let us see what he does if more than seven per match. England and South Africa – he has been unique. Where many conform to the letter of the bowl- Galle to play India for his final he fails to take the eight he needs Some of the statistics are stag- took 10 wickets in four successive have called him a thrower, some ing law when it comes to Test with 792 wickets. When he to reach 800). His home ground is gering. On 66 occasions, he has matches. No one has sent down extremists even suggesting his straightening the arm. If some was in his absolute pomp and tak- Kandy where he dismissed Paul taken five wickets in an innings, more than his 43,669 deliveries deeds should be struck from the allege the limit of 15 degrees of ing wickets like pick-and-mix Collingwood to regain the record compared to Warne’s 37. He has (40,850 for Anil Kumble and 40,705 records and that somehow he has flex by the elbow was agreed from the sweet counter there was from Warne one last time but managed 10 wickets in a match 22 for Warne are the only ones in devalued rather than enhanced specifically to include Murali, talk of 1,000 wickets, but it is still there is no Test there. Instead, of times and to place this in context, the parish). A total of 73 of his the game, others have recognised then ultimately he became vindi- a total, given the demands on course, he will remember the des- only 11 bowlers have managed wickets have come with catches someone who has overcome dis- cated. modern international cricketers, olation and death in Galle from more five-wicket innings than by Mahela Jayawardene, the most ability to make of himself what (Guardian) that will never be beaten. the tsunami as well as recognis- this. Twice – in 2001, against by a non-wicketkeeper off a sin- Inter-international Schools Under-19 Cricket Tourney The 7th Asian Youth Netball Championships British journalist to face Paiva impresses Sri Lanka enter trial in South Africa CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) - seven days “after he made news,” semi final The British tabloid journalist arrested according to Cele. with century after a fan appeared in the England “Police have reason to believe that Jecob, Shoheil steer Leightonpark Sri Lanka booked their semi final team’s dressing room after a World Cup this incident was orchestrated and Manishka Paiva scored 117 runs inclu- berth in the 7th Asian Youth Netball game will go on trial this weekend. involved the co-operation of a number sive of 16 fours and five sixes which Jecob Ramalingam and Shoheil Championships, now in progress at Simon Wright of the Sunday Mirror of individuals,” Cele said. helped Colombo International to post 221 Ramzin bowled impressive spells to share New Delhi, India. appeared in court Wednesday and will After the June 18 incident, in which runs and record a 100 run victory over seven wickets between them to steer Having registered a convincing 60- face charges of attempting to defeat the Joseph entered the dressing room of Gateway College, Kandy in their Inter- Leightonpak to a 32 run victory over 33 win over Hong Kong yesterday, Sri ends of justice and breaching a contra- the English team after their 0-0 draw international school Under-19 cricket Alethea in their match played at Shalika Lanka posted three victories including vention of the Immigration Act. with Algeria at Cape Town’s Green tournament match played at Shalika Ground yesterday. yesterday’s win in their first round Police said Wright was involved in Point Stadium, the fan gave an exclu- Ground yesterday. Scores: matches. The wins came against an “orchestrated” attempt to under- sive interview to the Sunday Mirror, Scores: Leightonpark 151 for 6 in 27 over s India(47-35) and Thailand(67-37) but the mine World Cup security after Pavlos claiming he was directed to the Colombo International 221 for 9 in 30 (Chamodya Wilfred 44, Shafran Ramzeen team lost to Malaysia(41-35) and Joseph found his way into England’s England dressing room when he asked overs (Manishka Paiva 117, Kithmina 34; Noor Azlam 2/24) Singapore(69-49).Sri Lanka will now changing room at Cape Town on June a security guard where he could find a Hewage 27, Prashantha Hemachandra 32; Alethea 119 all out in 26.1 overs play their semi final match against 18. He will face court on Saturday and toilet. R. Bultjens 2/15, Manuraj Hewage 2/40) (Ayesh Fernando 42, Athif Azar 26; Jecob Singapore next Friday(July 9) while Sunday. After his arrest, Joseph paid a $100 Gateway Kandy 121 all out in 24.4 Ramalingam 3/14, Shoheil Ramzin 4/16) Malaysia will play the other semi final At the time of Wright’s arrest on admission of guilt fine in exchange for overs (Kushan Dange 48, Arshan match against host India, on Friday.