The Murali effect
No individual in the game's history has had such an impact on his team's fortunes as Muttiah Muralitharan, Dileep Premachandran says in the National
Dustin Silgardo
25-Feb-2013
No individual in the game's history has had such an impact on his team's fortunes as Muttiah Muralitharan, Dileep Premachandran says in the National. The effect his retirement has had on Sri Lanka brings to mind New Zealand's woes post Richard Hadlee, he writes.
Before Muralitharan made his debut in 1992, Sri Lanka had won just two Tests. Over a 132-Test career in which he took 795 wickets - five were against Australia for the International Cricket Council World XI in 2005 - he contributed to 54 wins. In those triumphs, he took a staggering 438 wickets at 16.18. Over the past two decades, Sri Lanka have won just five times without him. Since his exit against India in Galle last year, they have lost three Tests and drawn six.
Dustin Silgardo is a former sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo