“For me 800 is a number, I made up my mind to retire after the Galle Test irrespective of whether I reached the landmark or not as I had achieved everything in cricket,” Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan said at a felicitation function organised by Chennai Super Kings.
“I had also broken the record of Shane Warne and 18 years of cricket gave me everything in life,” he added.
In an interaction with India’s former captain S Venkataraghavan, moderated by Sanjay Manjrekar, Murali said the time was ripe for spinners Suraj Randiv, Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath to collectively replace him. Murali was presented a special team jersey with the number 800 etched on the back.
“They are in their mid-20s and hence I decided to make way for them. I decided to sign off at Galle as it has been my favourite venue. Playing against the world number one team with batsmen such as Sachin (Tendulkar), Rahul (Dravid) and (MS) Dhoni was a perfect swansong,” he stated.
Murali said that Sachin and (Brian) Lara were the two best batsmen he had bowled to. “They are two different types of players. Sachin always had the fire in him to win every match that he played and that is why he holds all the records,” he said. Murali also rated Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower as the best batsman of spin.
Asked about his trying times, especially when he was “called” for “chucking”, Murali owed his rejuvenation and resurgence to the support from the captain, teammates, board and above all the people of Sri Lanka.
Murali considered the victory against England in 1998 at the Oval as one of the most significant moments of his career. “I took 16 wickets, including 9 in the second innings, that helped us score an innings victory,” he stated.
“That performance in England made the world stand up and take cognisance of my performance as an ace spin bowler,” he said. Murali said that he had three more years of cricket left in him, but had not decided if he would play the World Cup to be held in the sub-continent next year.
“I will be playing for CSK in the Champions League this year. Based on how I fare there, I will decide on my future international assignments. However, I will play in some English counties and hope to play in the IPL for the next three years,” he remarked when asked about his future plans.
Though he does not plan to get involved in any coaching assignment he hopes to help Anil Kumble in his venture. “Anil has asked me to be a part of his proposal and I have agreed to do so,” he said.
Finally, what is the secret for his becoming the best spinner in the world. “I use my wrist to impart spin and not my fingers. That helps me to come up with variations and also foxes the batsman. In fact, Alan Border initially thought I was a leg-spinner, before he was convinced that I was an off-spinner,” he added.
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