'Murali' is a wonder of our age (5 August 1999)

5 August 1999

'Murali' is a wonder of our age

Richard Dwight

Muralitharan, the Sri Lankan off spinner is proving to be quite a sensation, having taken 55 wickets in just five matches for his county Lancashire. He has also the added distinction of securing 34 wickets earlier in the year 1998, to make his tally an enviable 89, within a short period time on English soil. Indeed an unparalleled, phenomenal debut by any Sri Lankan cricketer at county level, which has done the country proud, giving it as well a shot in the arm for our cricket, that is at a low ebb in the eyes of those here and abroad.

By his extra-ordinary feats he has earned the plaudit of the people of Lancashire and the followers of cricket in Britain.

Not lagging behind, the British press has been quick enough to recognise the sheer brilliance of this world class spinner and many appreciative encomiums has come his way. The English Guardian in particular was lavish, in that it went to the extent of devoting an entire page to give a comprehensive historical narrative of Murali.

It carries a photographic registration of Murali about to deliver the ball, with a tacit caption. "The action may be unconventional but the results speak of themselves: Muralitharan is a wonder of the age".

The Guardian had a beaming headline which reads "Murali the master goes spinning into history." And has for its opening paragraph, "It has been a generation since great feats on the county ground of England could be guaranteed to hold much of the nation in thrall. But even though county cricket must get by these days on relatively limited attention, Muttiah Muralitharan is proclaiming himself with every game for Lancashire this summer, to be a wonder of the age."

Equally interesting are the comments made by the famed coach of Lancashire and Sri Lanka, Dav Whatmore who says that, "He has the potential to be the world's leading wicket-taker and he will know it. He would be silly to ignore it because it will be a great motivating factor. There have been some warning signs both with Sri Lanka and Lancashire about him carrying too heavy load, but I am not unduly worried." Dav also makes the observation, "I have regarded him as unique. He is a revelation, a wonderful sight, and should be celebrated while we have the chance rather than criticised.".

Murali too not to be left out said this to the Guardian, "Test cricket is hard work but give a batsman enough pressure and he will collapse," "I don't have to work much on my game these days. It's all in the mind, it doesn't come and go now. If something goes wrong I might go to the net and work. Otherwise I just loosen up," he regards his 16 wickets against England to be the highlight of his career, much better than winning the World Cup.

It's a story of this greet bowler's ups and downs, of humiliation and harassment, who through it all triumphed over adversity, to live the dictum, that you cannot put a good man down. As for us, we have immense faith in Murali's prowess, who we feel has many overs to bowl and wickets to take, ere he ceases to bowl.

Source :: Daily News (https://www.lanka.net)