Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has been Sri Lanka’s key bowler in the Tests as well as one day Internationals in the recent times.
Says Sri Lankan off-spinner Muralitharan, whose immediate target is to reach 800 Test wickets first
MUMBAI: Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has been Sri Lanka’s key bowler in the Tests as well as one day Internationals in the recent times. Though his actions have been under the scanner but the offie overcame all obstacles to emerge as the most successful spinner in international cricket with 899 wickets in both forms of the game.
After showing his skills in cricket’s later avatar - DLF Indian Premier League for more than a month, the 36-year-old is all set to return to the real form of cricket - ODI’s and Test. For Sri Lanka, the new season will start with the Asia Cup (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, UAE, Bangladesh, Hong Kong) followed by three-match Test series against Sri Lanka and five one-day Internationals.
“It is going to be an exciting and challenging series against India,” said Murali, who is here along with his current and former team-mates - Arjuna Ranatunga (Sri Lanka Cricket supremo), Aravinda De Silva, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, to promote Sri Lankan Airlines, at a city hotel on Monday.
Having played 15 Twenty20 matches consecutively, the star Sri Lankan bowler said he won’t take time to adjust to one day cricket in Asia Cup. “It is not a different ball game altogether, the experience players can easily adjust to the old format and also do well in it,” he said. “The IPL Twenty20 was a great challenge, it could be tough next year,” he added.
Comparing T20 to 50 over one-day International and Test Cricket cricket, Murali said, “Twenty is exciting but 50 over and Test cricket will go on. In order to make one day cricket more exciting and spectator friendly we will have to add some thing new and spicy. T20 is entertaining but Testis key to show talent,” he added.
The Kandy born cricketer is excited to lock horns with Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar in Asia Cup and home series, where the Mumbai batsman has a chance to break West Indian batting legend Brian Lara’s record of 11,953 runs.
“Sachin is one of the greatest batsmen I have bowled to and I am going to stop him getting runs against me. But he deserves to create a new world record and I would be happy if he does in Sri Lanka,” he added.
Speculations have already started pouring in on Murali’s retirement as he gets older every year, however, the great off-spinner has rubbished it off. “It’s not going to be long but short. I will see 1-2 series how things go. I may carry on till 2011 World Cup. If I feel that I am not being able to do justice I may step down. But right now my target is to reach 800 wickets,” he added.
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