Muttiah Muralitharan’s big eyes tell several tales. Importantly, they retain their sparkle.
Despite the physical and mental demands of international cricket, the 35-year-old Muralitharan has the enthusiasm of a beginner. Every match is a new day and a fresh experience.
“If you don’t enjoy the game, you should stop playing,” he says. Sport for him is a “nice way of getting to know people.” He adds, “You play for enjoyment, for fun, and the pride of representing your people, country and team.”
It has been no fun though for his 735 and 464 victims in Tests and ODIs. Done in by turn and bounce, they have been consumed by the ‘Smiling Assassin’.Best form of aggression
“The best form of aggression is to smile at the batsmen,” says Murali.
Test cricket’s most successful bowler was relaxed and confident during an exclusive interview with The Hindu here on Tuesday.
He is pleased to be in Chennai. “I have strong roots in Tamil Nadu. My grandfather went to Sri Lanka from here in 1920, to the hill country and the tea plantations. My father and his brothers stayed back but my grandfather returned to India with his two daughters. They settled in Tiruchi.”
Muralitharan admits learning much from his father Muttiah, a businessman. Most of all, he imbibed the value of humility. “He was a very simple man, not flashy. He was very disciplined. I never saw him change with money or anything else. There will be ups and downs but you need to stay the same on and off the field. In cricket, it is important to respect your opponents,” reveals Muralitharan. Of course, he is humble to a fault.
Married to a Chennai girl, Muralitharan, arguably, is the Chennai Super Kings’ iconic player in the Indian Premier League. “I am a Tamil and it is great to be playing for Super Kings. It is an honour,” he says.Exciting challenge
The prospect of bowling at some great batsmen in the IPL excites him. “I will be bowling at Sachin Tendulkar, Adam Gilchrist, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara. They all know me well, particularly Kumar, still it will be a challenge to bowl at them.”
Bowling, he points out, is about subtle variations. “It’s a lot about the use of the crease, changing the angle, the flight, the loop, the deception. People say I bowl a lot of deliveries including the top-spinner, the flipper and the arm ball. But I essentially bowl only two kinds of deliveries, the one spinning in and the other turning away. Then it boils down to the variations, changing the field, setting the batsman up. A spinner has to be patient to win the psychological duel. Whenever I thought positively, I have done well. A batsman can get out in one delivery; a bowler has six deliveries every over.”
His commitment shines through in his practice sessions. “I worked for two years before I could master the doosra. Batsmen sort you out in international cricket and you need to evolve, keep them guessing,” he says.
He laughs off the controversies over his bowling action. “I have learnt to live with them.” Muralitharan soon adds: “They probably realise now that I have only two to three years left in me and feel ‘why bother him more till he retires’.”Tough nut
Like Harbhajan Singh, he too has been heckled by the Australian crowd. “At first, it bothered me. Then it made me stronger. I realise what Harbhajan must have gone through.”
Queried about the on-field incidents during the India-Australia series, he replies, “Even if the incidents are between the teams, it ultimately boils down to how the two teams react to the situation. You should not let it go out beyond the boundary.”
On fellow off-spinner Harbhajan’s resurgence in Test cricket, Muralitharan says, “He has been in the shadow of Anil Kumble, a legend. But you must not forget that he has more than 250 wickets in Tests himself. He’s a very good off-spinner.”
Muralitharan believes the home team has the right to prepare the sort of pitch that suits its bowlers. “If you go to South Africa, you would play on a green-top, won’t you?” he asks.
The off-spin wizard wants to continue till the 2011 World Cup. The Lankan team, he says, is going through a transitional period.
Fortunately for Sri Lanka, Muralitharan’s intensity has not dimmed. The blithe spirit — called Motor Mouth by his teammates — is motoring along.
Despite the physical and mental demands of international cricket, the 35-year-old Muralitharan has the enthusiasm of a beginner. Every match is a new day and a fresh experience.
“If you don’t enjoy the game, you should stop playing,” he says. Sport for him is a “nice way of getting to know people.” He adds, “You play for enjoyment, for fun, and the pride of representing your people, country and team.”
It has been no fun though for his 735 and 464 victims in Tests and ODIs. Done in by turn and bounce, they have been consumed by the ‘Smiling Assassin’.Best form of aggression
“The best form of aggression is to smile at the batsmen,” says Murali.
Test cricket’s most successful bowler was relaxed and confident during an exclusive interview with The Hindu here on Tuesday.
He is pleased to be in Chennai. “I have strong roots in Tamil Nadu. My grandfather went to Sri Lanka from here in 1920, to the hill country and the tea plantations. My father and his brothers stayed back but my grandfather returned to India with his two daughters. They settled in Tiruchi.”
Muralitharan admits learning much from his father Muttiah, a businessman. Most of all, he imbibed the value of humility. “He was a very simple man, not flashy. He was very disciplined. I never saw him change with money or anything else. There will be ups and downs but you need to stay the same on and off the field. In cricket, it is important to respect your opponents,” reveals Muralitharan. Of course, he is humble to a fault.
Married to a Chennai girl, Muralitharan, arguably, is the Chennai Super Kings’ iconic player in the Indian Premier League. “I am a Tamil and it is great to be playing for Super Kings. It is an honour,” he says.Exciting challenge
The prospect of bowling at some great batsmen in the IPL excites him. “I will be bowling at Sachin Tendulkar, Adam Gilchrist, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara. They all know me well, particularly Kumar, still it will be a challenge to bowl at them.”
Bowling, he points out, is about subtle variations. “It’s a lot about the use of the crease, changing the angle, the flight, the loop, the deception. People say I bowl a lot of deliveries including the top-spinner, the flipper and the arm ball. But I essentially bowl only two kinds of deliveries, the one spinning in and the other turning away. Then it boils down to the variations, changing the field, setting the batsman up. A spinner has to be patient to win the psychological duel. Whenever I thought positively, I have done well. A batsman can get out in one delivery; a bowler has six deliveries every over.”
His commitment shines through in his practice sessions. “I worked for two years before I could master the doosra. Batsmen sort you out in international cricket and you need to evolve, keep them guessing,” he says.
He laughs off the controversies over his bowling action. “I have learnt to live with them.” Muralitharan soon adds: “They probably realise now that I have only two to three years left in me and feel ‘why bother him more till he retires’.”Tough nut
Like Harbhajan Singh, he too has been heckled by the Australian crowd. “At first, it bothered me. Then it made me stronger. I realise what Harbhajan must have gone through.”
Queried about the on-field incidents during the India-Australia series, he replies, “Even if the incidents are between the teams, it ultimately boils down to how the two teams react to the situation. You should not let it go out beyond the boundary.”
On fellow off-spinner Harbhajan’s resurgence in Test cricket, Muralitharan says, “He has been in the shadow of Anil Kumble, a legend. But you must not forget that he has more than 250 wickets in Tests himself. He’s a very good off-spinner.”
Muralitharan believes the home team has the right to prepare the sort of pitch that suits its bowlers. “If you go to South Africa, you would play on a green-top, won’t you?” he asks.
The off-spin wizard wants to continue till the 2011 World Cup. The Lankan team, he says, is going through a transitional period.
Fortunately for Sri Lanka, Muralitharan’s intensity has not dimmed. The blithe spirit — called Motor Mouth by his teammates — is motoring along.
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