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Full name Muttiah Muralitharan
Born April 17, 1972, Kandy
Current age 36 years 83 days
Major teams Sri Lanka,Asia XI,Chennai Super Kings,ICC World XI,Kandurata,Kent,Lancashire,Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm offbreak
Height
5 ft 7 in
Education St Anthony’s College, Kandy
Sri Lanka v Australia at Colombo (RPS), Aug 28-Sep 2, 1992 scorecard
Last Test
West Indies v Sri Lanka at Port of Spain, Apr 3-6, 2008 scorecard
Test statistics
ODI debut
Sri Lanka v India at Colombo (RPS), Aug 12, 1993 scorecard
Last ODI
India v Sri Lanka at Karachi, Jul 6, 2008 scorecard
ODI statistics
Only T20I
New Zealand v Sri Lanka at Wellington, Dec 22, 2006 scorecard
T20I statistics
First-class debut
1989/90
Last First-class
West Indies v Sri Lanka at Port of Spain, Apr 3-6, 2008 scorecard
List A debut
1991/92
Last List A
India v Sri Lanka at Karachi, Jul 6, 2008 scorecard
Twenty20 debut
Yorkshire v Lancashire at Leeds, Jun 22, 2005 scorecard
Last Twenty20
Chennai Super Kings v Rajasthan Royals at Mumbai, Jun 1, 2008 scorecard
Profile
Averaging nearly six wickets per Test, Muttiah Muralitharan is one of the most successful bowlers in the game, the greatest player in Sri Lanka's history, and without doubt the most controversial cricketer of the modern age. Muralitharan's rise from humble beginnings, being the Tamil son of a hill-country confectioner, to the top of the wicket-takers' list in Test cricket has divided the cricket world in the past decade because of his weird bent-arm bowling action.
He bowls marathon spells, yet is forever on the attack. From a loose-limbed, open-chested action, his chief weapons are the big-spinning offbreak and two versions of the top-spinner, one of which goes straight on and the other, which has now been labelled his doosra, which spins in the opposite direction to his stock ball. His newest variation is a version of Shane Warne's slider, which is flicked out the side of his hand and rushes onto batsmen like a flipper. His super-flexible wrist makes him especially potent and guarantees him turn on any surface.
His career has been beset with controversy from the start. Suspicions about his action were whispered soon after his debut against the Australians in 1993 and then aired freely after he was called for throwing while touring Australia in 1995-96, first in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne by Darrel Hair and later in the one-day series that followed. He was cleared by the ICC after biomechanical analysis at the University of Western Australia and at the University of Hong Kong in 1996. They concluded that his action created the 'optical illusion of throwing'.
But the controversy did not die away. He was called again on the 1998-99 tour to Australia, this time by Ross Emerson. Muralitharan was sent for further tests in Perth and England and was cleared again. However, the perfection of his doosra prompted further suspicion and at the end of a prolific three-match home series against Australia in March 2004 he was reported by ICC match referee Chris Broad. More high-tech tests followed, and ultimately forced the ICC to seriously look into the entire issue of throwing in international cricket, which revealed that many bowlers bend their arms during delivery, and that Murali might have been made an unfair victim. On the field, Murali continued to pile on the wickets, overtaking Courtney Walsh's 519-wicket world record to become the highest wicket-taker in Test history in May 2004.
It is unlikely that Muralitharan's career will ever be controversy-free, a fact that he now accepts. But the rapid progress of technology and sports science in the past decade has undoubtedly salvaged his reputation. He continues to pick up wickets by the bucket load, although many large hauls have come against the two weakest nations - Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. However, he saves his most stunning efforts for the big boys, such as his duel with the Australians in 2004 and his eight-wicket haul at Trent Bridge in 2006 which produced a famous series-levelling win against England.
Muralitharan picked up 23 wickets in the 2007 World Cup, though Sri Lanka were unable to repeat their 1996 final win against Australia. Muralitharan next featured in the home Test series against Bangladesh when, with the last of his 26 wickets, he
became the second player to 700 Test wickets. He duly passed Warne's Test record of 708 wickets against England in December 2007, fittingly on his home ground in Kandy.
Charlie Austin December 2007
At the age of 20, makes his debut against Australia at the Khettarama Stadium, and takes 3 for 141. Craig McDermott is his first wicket.
August 28, 1993 First of many
Takes 5 for 104 in South Africa's first innings in Moratuwa, his first five-wicket haul in Tests. His wickets include Kepler Wessels, Hansie Cronje and Jonty Rhodes.
March 11-15, 1995 Match-winner at work
Takes 5 for 64 in the second innings against of the Napier Test, and spins Sri Lanka to a 241-run win. It is their first overseas victory, and they eventually win the two-Test series 1-0.
Playing his 22nd Test, is no-balled by Darrell Hair seven times for a suspect action on the second day of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.
January 5, 1996 Emerson joins Hair
Ross Emerson, umpiring his first match, no-balls him for a suspect action in an ODI against West Indies at Brisbane. Resorts to legspin; is still no-balled. The ICC investigates his action and clears him.
March 16, 1997 First centurion from Sri Lanka
Becomes the first Sri Lankan to reach 100 Test wickets, when he dismisses Stephen Fleming in the second innings of the Hamilton Test.
Takes his first 10-wicket haul, against Zimbabwe in the Kandy Test. Sri Lanka win by eight wickets, and his match figures of 12 for 117 are the then best by any Sri Lankan bowler in Test history.
March, 1998 Winner in a losing cause
Takes 16 wickets in two Tests in South Africa, but Sri Lanka lose the series 0-2.
April 15, 1998 Takes his first five-wicket haul in ODIs - 5 for 23 as Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 115 runs in Benoni.
Takes 16 for 220 - his career-best figures - in the one-off Test against England. Ben Hollioake becomes his 200th Test wicket. Sri Lanka win by 10 wickets, their first Test victory in England.
January 23, 1999 We have your back
Is no-balled again by Emerson for suspect action, in an ODI against England in Adelaide. Ranatunga summons the Sri Lankan players to leave the field. Fourteen minutes are lost before play resumes.
February-August, 2000 His number is 26
Takes 26 wickets at an average of 19.84 in Sri Lanka's 2-1 series win in Pakistan, and follows it with another haul of 26, at 18.46 apiece, in a three-Test series at home against South Africa.
Takes 7 for 30 - then the best ODI figures - against India at Sharjah.
December 30, 2000 Second to Lillee
Takes his 300th Test wicket in his 58th Test when he dismisses Shaun Pollock in the first Test at Kingsmead. Only Dennis Lillee, 55 Tests, has reached the milestone faster.
January 4, 2002 Denied by Vaas
Takes nine Zimbabwe wickets on the first day of the Kandy Test, but misses out on the 10th when Chaminda Vaas dismisses Henry Olonga. Follows up his 9 for 51 in the first innings with 4 for 64 in the second. Equals Richard Hadlee's record of most 10 ten-wicket hauls in 15 fewer matches.
In his 72nd Test, becomes the fastest to reach the 400-wicket landmark when he bowls Henry Olonga in the third Test at Galle.
March 28, 2004 Action replay
Is once again reported for a suspect action by match-referee Chris Broad. Broad feels that the action with which Murali delivers the doosra during the Test series against Australia is not legitimate.
April, 2004 Doosra no more
Undergoes tests on his action at the University of Western Australia in Perth. The ICC effectively outlaws his doosra, confirming that they are not about to increase the permitted five-degree tolerance level for spin bowlers to accommodate him. Sri Lanka Cricket instructs Muralitharan to stop bowling the doosra in international cricket. The ICC supports the decision.
Goes past Courtney Walsh's record for the most Test wickets when he claims Mluleki Nkala as his 520th wicket in the Harare Test.
June 4, 2004 Not looking forward to Australian hospitality
Is named in the squad to tour Australia despite his saying there is a possibility he could opt out of the series. Two weeks later, pulls out of the two-Test tour of Australia citing "personal reasons".
February 4, 2006 Undergoes another round of tests at the University of Western Australia in Perth to prove to the Australian crowds that his action is legitimate.
July 14, 2007 Takes the last wicket of the third Test against Bangladesh to reach the 700-wicket milestone in his 113th Test. The last 100 wickets have come in 12 Tests.
Sri Lanka's first Test victory in England comes solely due to an inspirational performance by Muralitharan. His 16 for 220 is the fifth-best analysis in Tests at the time; his 9 for 65 in England's second innings is seventh best on the all-time list. His seven wickets in the first innings, however, have cost him 155 out of a solid total of 445. But Sanath Jayasuriya's double and Aravinda de Silva's 152 give them a 146-run lead. Murali picks up two wickets before stumps on the fourth day, but a draw seemed the most realistic result. But "realistic" is what Murali isn't; on a wearing pitch, he casts a spell on the batsmen. England have no answer to his wiles, and one by one they succumb. Only Alec Stewart's run-out prevents Murali from picking up all 10 wickets in an innings. Sri Lanka are set 36 to win, and they knock them off in five overs in the last hour of the Test.
6 for 87 amd 7 for 84 v South Africa, Galle, 2000
Sri Lanka pile up 522 to lay an ideal platform for Murali to unveil his new weapons against South Africa. He bamboozles the South Africans on a dry and cracked pitch with his big-spinning offbreak, the doosra and the top-spinner. He takes 6 for 87 as South Africa are bowled out for 238, and Daryl Cullinan, who scores a skilful 114, admits: "I could have been out three or four times. He's unique." South Africa are made to follow on, and Murali repeated his magic. He runs through the last seven wickets, and becomes the sixth bowler to dismiss all 11 batsmen over two innings of a Test.
4 for 77 and 6 for 71 v Pakistan, Peshawar, 1999-00
Pakistan are comfortably placed at 154 for 3, in response to Sri Lanka's 268 in the first innings. Enter Murali who triggers a collapse by dismissing Younis Khan. Pakistan go on to lose their last seven wickets for 45 runs, giving Sri Lanka a first-innings lead of 69. Chasing 294, Pakistan get off to a solid start with their openers adding 59, but Murali once again dismisses Shahid Afridi and Inzamam-ul-Haq in quick succession. Yousuf Youhana defies Sri Lanka with a gritty 88, but Murali dismisses him and Waqar Younis of consecutive balls to end the fourth day. On the final morning Sri Lanka need just nine balls to pick up the final two wickets; Murali dismisses the last man Arshad Khan to finish with 6 for 71 in the second innings.
With Sri Lanka defending 294, Sachin Tendulkar is the only man who stands between them and victory, and once Murali has him caught for 51, he knifes through the rest of the batting order. India collapse from 99 for 2 to 129 for 6, with Robin Singh becoming Murali's 200th ODI wicket. He takes 4 for 21 in his first spell of seven overs, and ends the resistance posed by Hemang Badani and Vijay Dahiya with a double-wicket maiden in his second. His 7 for 30 beats Aqib Javed's record for best bowling in an ODI.
5 for 9 v New Zealand in Sharjah, 2002
New Zealand have made a brisk start to their innings, reaching 83 for 2 in Murali-less 15 overs. He snares Stephen Fleming, Scott Styris and Chris Nevin in his first spell, giving away nothing. Matthew Sinclair and Chris Harris stage a recovery, but Murali dismisses both in consecutive overs during his second spell. He finishes with astonishing figures of 10-3-9-5, and it is only after they see his back that New Zealand recover to 218 for 8, a target that proves 11 runs too much for Sri Lanka.
4 for 54 and 6 for 81 v West Indies, Kandy, 2001-02
After both the sides fare equally miserably with the bat in their first innings, the second Test of the series is a one-innings showdown. Sri Lanka's batsmen recover from the dismal first innings to set West Indies a target of 378. Chaminda Vaas has torn a hamstring and cannot bowl, but that allows Murali to be introduced as early as the ninth over. The wily mix of offspin and doosras proves too much for West Indies as a string of batsmen are bowled, trapped lbw, or caught at the wicket. Murali needs only 16.2 overs to take 8 for 46, and bowls Sri Lanka to victory by 240 runs.
3 for 62 and 8 for 70 v England, Trent Bridge, 2006
Murali's initial impact on the third Test, which Sri Lanka need to win to draw the series, is not with the ball. Sri Lanka have been reduced to 169 for 9 after winning the toss, but Murali strikes a feisty 33 off 29 balls to prop them to 231. A collective Sri Lankan bowling effort, in which Murali takes 3 for 62, bowls England out for 229 in the first innings. Sri Lanka bat solidly the second time around, and set England 322 to chase. Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss give England a strong chance of victory by adding 84 for the first wicket, but then Trescothick fails to read Murali's doosra and is bowled, beginning a passage of play when Murali takes 8 for 26 in 105 balls. Strauss is caught at slip, Pietersen at short-leg, and England begin to crumble swiftly. Murali picks up the first seven wickets before Chamara Kapugedera denies him a shot at all 10 by running out Matthew Hoggard. Murali adds one more to his tally, to finish with 8 for 70, and former England captain Nasser Hussain, now a television commentator, declares that "there is no shame in being bowled out by a genius".
3 for 41 v India, Trinidad, 2007
Although 3 for 41 are not the numbers that are associated with a great Murali spell, this spell against India in a crucial group match of the World Cup is mind-boggling to watch. The Sri Lankan fast bowlers begin their defence of 254 well by reducing India to 44 for 3, but Virender Sehwag threatens to stage a fightback. Murali takes center-stage, pitching his doosras outside leg stump, and audaciously trying to bowl them around their legs. The Indians play him nervously; Sehwag edges an offbreak to slip, and Dhoni walks after being hit on the pad by a top spinner, and the game is up.
