Apr 17, 2012 Part 11: Geoff Boycott on the impact Muttiah Muralitharan has had on slow bowling and on Sri Lankan cricket
Producer: Ranjit Shinde
News and Analysis A breakdown of the new finance model, under which the BCCI will now stand to gain US $405 million in the 2016-2023 rights cycle, $112 more than the figure proposed by the ICC in April | Jun 22, 2017
Features Luke Ronchi, who was part of a small group of players to play for 2 countries, has called it a day on his international career. Here is a look at some of his numbers | Jun 22, 2017
News and Analysis Simon Harmer claimed a career-best 14 for 128 during Essex's victory over Warwickshire while Joe Clarke hit back-to-back hundreds to beat Kent at New Road | Jun 22, 2017
Run Order With India touring the West Indies for five ODIs and a T20I,Ajit Agarkar, Shaun Tait, Cyrus Broacha and the ESPNcricinfo staff discuss the relevance of bilateral ODI tours in the current international structure | Jun 22, 2017
Interviews Warren Deutrom and Ross McCollum spoke after the ICC's decision to expand the number of teams with Full-Member status | Jun 22, 2017
Interviews Afghanistan Cricket Board chief executive Shafiq Stanikzai hopes it won't be too long until the world sees the country make its Test debut | Jun 22, 2017
Match Day Alexis Nunes previews the ODI series between the West Indies and India | Jun 22, 2017
Match Day As India embark on an ODI series against the West Indies, we look at whether there is scope for experimentation | Jun 22, 2017
Features Members of the Australia men's team offer words of encouragement to their females counterparts ahead of the Women's World Cup | Jun 22, 2017
Jan 29, 2016 Part 11: Graham Gooch on his toughest competitors: Malcolm Marshall was the most intelligent quick bowler ever
Jan 26, 2016 Part ten: Graham Gooch on his toughest competitors: Dennis Lillee had tremendous stamina and the ability to adapt to any condition
Jan 19, 2016 Part nine: Graham Gooch on his toughest competitors: Shane Warne bowled the best flipper, and he always tried to psyche out batsme...
Jan 12, 2016 Part eight: Graham Gooch on his toughest competitors: Wasim Akram was effective both over and round the wicket and was very diffic...
Jan 5, 2016 Part seven: Graham Gooch on his toughest competitors: Alan Knott stood out for his glovework and footwork, and he was an iconic pl...
Dec 22, 2015 Part six: Graham Gooch on his toughest competitors: Martin Crowe's ability to transfer his weight at the crease made him a difficu...
Dec 12, 2015 Part 4: Graham Gooch on Sachin Tendulkar, who bore the crushing weight of expectation masterfully for over two decades
Dec 12, 2015 Part five: Graham Gooch on his toughest competitors: Allan Border was not eye-catching but he was uncompromising and focused on wi...
Dec 1, 2015 Part three: Graham Gooch on the toughest competitors: Viv Richards owned every ground he walked out onto
Loading more content
We use cookies to help make this website better, to improve our services and for advertising purposes. You can learn more about our use of cookies and change your browser settings in order to avoid cookies by clicking here. Otherwise, we'll assume you are OK to continue.
Login to post comments
XComments have now been closed for this article
At all the Saqlain supporters, You guys are absolutely right, Saqlain did invent the doosra BUT his doosra very rarely turned the other way appreciably (except maybe the one against Damien Martyn and a handful of others).. I think thats wat Geoff is saying here, Murali was the first person to SPIN the doosra the other way appreciably, almost like a leg break..
It just tells you how out of touch Boycott is. Murali learnt the doosra from Saqlain and Saqi was extremely good at it. Boycott is a bit coy about the "chucking" rule that the other great bowlers have benefited. The rules were changed so that McGrath and Pollock along with the rest could continue bowling. Cricinfo has a write up on this that exonerate Murali and states the reasons for the change which Mr Boycott does not want to accept. Murali never hid his bent arm under long sleeved shirts either as some other spinners still do. His major wicket taking was with his stock delivery which was under the 5 degree tolerance. Murali is the greatest spin bowler in the history of cricket and that is the fact supported by figures. Murali sure did make Sri Lanka a fighting force and virtually was a one man bowling band. You cannot win matches if you cannot score or take wickets. The genial nature of Murali and the bullying that he has been subject is not cricket Mr Boycott. Philip Gnana, Surrey
Doosra was invented and perfected by Saqlain with a clean action...others followed saqlain
I think Mr. Boycott has got it wrong. It is unfair to saqlan mushtag as he is the inventor of the doosra. Murali has himself openly admitted that saqlain started the doosra. also muralitharan was more lethal due to the amount of turn he got and also the flight and the trajectory he had
What about 45 avg. in India? it is worse than Warne's 43. Srilankans give excuses about pitches but Murali got outbowled by Harbhajan in those. lol. At home Murali feasted on a severely depleted Indian team in 2001 (Vaas,Fernando were better then)and was a secod fiddle to Mendis in 2008.Saqlain was far better than both. Erapalli Prasanna was also an attacking spinner who Boycott faced.
get your history straight sir, doosra was not "created" or Invented by murali.do you what the word doosra even means. For your information it is Urdu word means "second" or other one invented by saqlain mushtaq and bowl against the aussies in Australia, go and ask ian healy.it s not good take credit away for saqi
No pakistani bowler in geoffery's X1????
Geoff Boycott out of all people should know that, Saqlain was the pioneer of the Doosra, and also the fact that a Doosra that spins less is more likely to take the edge than one that spins more. No credit taken away from Murali, another brilliant bowler of the Doosra, more wickets to his name bowling it. Both had equal part in reviving the art of finger spin.
Murali is the greatest wicket taker in the game and also the most ill treated cricketer. It was unfortunate that he played for Sri Lanka. His record is practically untouchable. Taking 5 wickets in a test innings is a dream for a test bowler and Murali has passed that 67 times (next best 37 by Warne) and taken 10 wickets in a match 22 times (next best 10 by warne) . Had he played for England or Australia, his action wouldn't have been questioned and will be duly treated. It is so unfair that people often use terms like 'controversial' and 'debatable' when describing Murali even after repeated clearance of his action by the ICC and with ample of biomechanical evidences to prove that he has congenitally abnormal wrist and elbow.