Plans to psyche Muralitharan in Australia (30 September 1998)

30 September 1998

Plans to psyche Muralitharan in Australia

Elmo Rodrigopulle

News continues to trickle down from down under that sections of the Aussie cricket set up are once again charging their batteries to try and unsettle our off spinning sensation Muthiah Muralitharan during the triangular series which also includes England beginning next year.

They intend to exhume the once and for all buried Muralitharan 'chucking' question because while it stinks in the cricket world, those probing it apparently enjoy it as some kind of perfume.

While, some of the Aussie media and umpires revelled in riling Muralitharan about his unorthodox bowling action, their allegations, accusations and the material they threw out to ban the off spinner out of the game, were flung back at them like garbage by the International Cricket Council who ruled that the little off spinner's bowling action was legitimate.

Muralitharan enthused by the clearance from the world governing body went about tantalising and mesmerising all opposing batsmen until he fronted up to the Englishmen in the recently concluded one-off Test at the Foster's Oval where he gave them their own Jim Laker medicine and made them bite their own dust.

What England coach David Lloyd tried to dig up unsuccessfully and made to swallow his own words need not be further elaborated on. However he would have had something to cheer the alleged back slapping his supporters allegedly gave him.

The ploy of his detractors is to dig up the throwing controversy and psyche Muralitharan while on tour in Australia. His vehement and vindictive opponents in the game today are the Australians and the Englishmen who fear his bowling.

But Muralitharan need not worry. On the field he will have two elder statesmen in the game today 'Captain Cool' and vice captain Aravinda de Silva who will guide him intelligently and cleverly. He will also have coach Roy Dias with him and probably Ranjit Fernando or Duleep Mendis as manager who too are shrewd readers and tacticians in all situations.

Muralitharan will also have the support of all right thinking Aussie and Sri Lanka cricket supporters cheering and backing him all the way in his glittering cricketing career with promises to bracket him with the greats in bowling and make him set bowling records that will be hard to be equalled.

The triangular contest is going to be a no quarter asked or given one. Australia, England and Sri Lanka will have their best men out so as to finalise their squads for the World Cup to follow in May and this triangular will be one of the best conducted and contested.

England will be craving to have their name engraved in the World Cup. Although they gave the game to the world, they still can't imagine how the World Cup came to evade them.

After winning the Test series against South Africa recently, they were hoping to grab the Emirates one-day competition. But the Lankans who proved the better drilled side on that day, had the Englishmen surrendering meekly.

Australia will of course go out favourites with every advantage to them. They will be continuing with the attacking Steve Waugh as captain with a different team and probably sans regular Test skipper Mark Taylor.

As for the Lankans they will fire all cylinders. They will be looking to put right the little shortcomings and every player no doubt will be out to impress so as to be in the squad that will defend the World Cup.

Sri Lanka's problems are that they will have to acclimatise to English conditions and also find a couple of more one-day bowlers. There is no logic in going to England early because it will still be winter.

However the Lankans have it in them to defend the WC. If they play as we know they can, they can equal the feat of the West Indies, that of winning the WC twice.

News is that paceman Chaminda Vaas is improving well and with lanky paceman Nuwan Zoysa also challenging, when WC time comes around, everything should be tickety boo.

Sri Lanka's next fling will be at the mini-world cup in Bangladesh. This tournament too should be a good grooming ground for the ones pushing to make it to the WC squad.

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