England equipped to take on Sri Lanka
Muttiah Muralitharan is not the mystery bowler he was when England took on Sri Lanka in the World Cup quarter-final in 1996, says Dominic Cork – who was a part of that World Cup squad – writing in the Independent
Nikita Bastian
25-Feb-2013
Muttiah Muralitharan is not the mystery bowler he was when England took on Sri Lanka in the World Cup quarter-final in 1996, says Dominic Cork – who was a part of that World Cup squad – writing in the Independent. And this England believe in themselves a lot more than that England did, he says, so they have as good a chance to make the last four as any of the quarter-finalists.
Like this year's England, we went into the World Cup almost immediately after a long winter tour of Tests and one-day internationals (South Africa, in our case). And, similarly again, we had some good individual players with the likes of Neil Fairbrother and Robin Smith on board. But, unlike this lot, I don't think we believed in ourselves as a team – and that is perhaps the greatest strength of Andrew Strauss's squad.
Sri Lanka will be tough opponents: a good side, playing in their own conditions and with a full house behind them. But, unlike 15 years ago when their attacking style of play stunned many people, there will not be any surprises for Strauss's men … In 1996 Muttiah Muralitharan was still very much a mystery bowler … We did not have all the video technology, or the analysts, to help batsmen work out how bowlers bowled different deliveries.
Nikita Bastian is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo