There has been a lot of talk during the world cup of whether after the world cup Ricky Ponting would continue (we know now he will but not as captain), whether Sachin Tendulkar would continue (we still don’t know but I suspect he might continue only in test cricket) and we got to know during the world cup that Shoaib Akhtar would not continue playing any more. But the one person we always knew would bow out after the world cup was Mutthiah Muralidaran.
That Murali has tremendous figures goes without saying. I suspect however that most people are not aware just how tremendous they are. Have a look at this article written four or five months ago by Ananth Narayanan (http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/itfigures/archives/2010/12/barnes_and_muralitharan_at_par.php) which gives a perspective into how amazing Murali’s figures have been. To me, based on figures and things which contemporaries had to say about him, Barnes has always been the finest bowler ever – he’s the Bradman of bowling to me. And to see Murali at the same level and arguably higher was an eye opener to me.
So, why is it that when discussions about the best spinners happen, generally Warne tends to get just a slightly higher billing than Murali? It’s Warne who gets into Wisden’s top 5 cricketers of the century with 27 out of a possible 100 votes a player could get while Murali did not get a single vote – I repeat not one vote (as on 1st January 2001, Warne had 366 test wickets in 84 matches compared to Murali’s 308 in 58 matches and 230 ODI wickets in 149 matches compared to 211 in 150 with very similar averages and strike rates). Warne got picked in the cricinfo all time test XI way ahead of Murali (Warne was a unanimous choice of every jury member) though Murali made it to the 2nd XI (along with Barnes – rather ironic isn’t it – the 2 bowlers with the best career stretches and among the top 3 in career wickets per match and they are in the 2nd XI). Warne gets credit for having revived the dying art of leg spin but people generally don’t mention that Murali practically created a new art (the wrist spinning off spinner) and took another to rarefied heights (the “doosra” which, though invented by Saqlain Mushtaq was really made something big by Murali and Harbhajan)
So, what lies behind this inconsistency? Is it just plain simple discrimination against an Asian by the establishment? Is it that the more flamboyant Warne scores over the quieter Murali because Warne makes for better copy for journalists the world over? Does the fact that more of Murali’s wickets come against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh than for Warne have something to do it (even though if one removes those matches Murali still has a better wickets/test record than anyone other than Barnes and Lohmann; and is the best for all players with more than 200 wickets)? Or does it all have to do with the controversy over the bowling action (which of course is linked back to the discrimination)?
Let me give my view point up front- I believe Warne is the better bowler. Having seen both Warne and Murali on many occasions, I truly believe that Warne had more variety and could make the ball do more. Murali too has prodigious spin but somehow I rank Warne just that bit better. The “Mike Gatting delivery” remains perhaps the best ball I have ever seen in any form of cricket. And Warne has bowled such deliveries very often. I have often seen Warne change games single handedly with a ball that spins viciously, though to be fair Murali has done that too. If one tries to get anecdotal with both these players, one will get enough anecdotes on either side…but after having seen them both over long periods of time - I just feel Warne was the more complete bowler with greater variety and able to bowl the unplayable ball more often.
But the bigger issue remains the elephant in the room - Murali’s bowling action. Like it or not, that is an issue – And I do believe that there was something suspect with his action!
I realize this is a highly controversial thing to say – especially with all the water which has flown under the bridge. I know that Murali has bowled under cameras in test conditions and eventually everything was cleared. And yes, it is not cricket to now comment on this. But I can’t help it – every time I see him bowl it looks like something is amiss. And this is not now but a feeling I have had for over 15 years. When Darrel Hair called him in 1995, I remember thinking that this was waiting to happen. And for all that’s happened – with the tests and the change in laws, the hyper extensibility of his elbows and wrists- the doubt remains. It’s sad…but true.
And so, Murali will always remain the second among equals. I suppose the key remains to remember that it is equals who are being discussed. But nonetheless, it’s been a fabulous career which has finally come to an end. All said and done, Murali has produced some magic on the field – many times - and as he walks away into the Valhalla of cricket, let us take a moment to rejoice in his achievements because he has been a truly great player.
No comments:
Post a Comment