Murli A Name Which Might Fade Soon ?

[ShamiLoverGlipGlops]

Muttiah Muralitharan bowls, Sri Lanka v Pakistan, 2nd ODI, Dambulla, August 1, 2009
Muttiah Muralitharan is rethinking his earlier goal of playing the 2011 World Cup ? AFP
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Players/Officials: Muttiah Muralitharan
Series/Tournaments: Sri Lanka tour of India
Teams: Sri Lanka

Muttiah Muralitharan, the Sri Lankan spinner, has said he may quit international cricket before the 2011 World Cup that will be held in the subcontinent.

Murali, on his fourth tour to India and his final overseas tour, is struggling to come to terms with the placid Indian pitches and a strong batting line-up which has treated him harshly in the series so far. He went for over hundred runs for the second time in two Tests in the series in the second Test in Kanpur, and so far his five wickets have cost him 396 runs, average 79.20.

"I am 37 years old and I can't bowl as much as those days because I get tired after 15-16 overs. But I will try and play a little bit of one-day cricket, that's only 10 overs to bowl. If I find everything is not going well I might retire from both forms of the game before the World Cup," Murali said. "Everything depends on how much my body can take. In Test cricket it's a little bit harder because I have always been a threat to other sides. At the moment it's not looking like that because others are playing me well. I think I made the right decision to retire from Test cricket at the end of the West Indies series next year.

"Two to three years ago it was not like this. Now you have niggles here and there and my groin is not the same as it used to be. We got the worst bowling conditions in the last two Tests. We didn't have the bowlers, that was one of the factors. But that's the way cricket goes, everything won't work in your favour."

Sri Lanka is struggling in the series because Murali has not been able to give them the breakthroughs he usually does. "I've played only eight Tests this year: two against Bangladesh, two against Pakistan, and two against New Zealand when I really did well bowling in the second innings of the second Test with a groin injury," he said. "Whenever the side wanted a breakthrough I've got it for them in the New Zealand series. I don't why it's not happening here.

"You have to give credit to India also for playing well. Whatever we were expecting didn't happen. Even the spinners didn't do well in any Test because everyone was not up to the mark and the wicket was not assisting them."

Sri Lanka are yet to win a Test in India, but Murali said that he won't be too disappointed if he had to return home without a Test victory in India. "Every cricketer has to go through disappointments. Everything you want to happen in life won't happen, something will be missing. Looking back I can say what an amazing career I have gone through but if we can't win in India that's it. Life has to go on."

Already the leading wicket-taker in Tests he needs 12 more wickets in a possible three Tests to reach 800, but he said he was not targetting personal milestones. "I am not really focussing on finishing off my career taking 800 Test wickets, my focus is on winning matches. I don't believe in numbers. Eight hundred is just a number everyone will forget once you retire. It's a number to have in your mind. It is good if I get it but if I don't, still I will be happy and go out knowing I had a great career."


Source :

Murali may quit before 2011 World Cup | Cricket News | India v Sri Lanka 2009/10 | Cricinfo.com

 

[irottev]

I'd quit too given the pitches he's had to bowl on. He's still a very good spinner - easily the best but he has slowed a little lately.

 

[pcfan123]

TBH he bores me now, was exciting to watch him the first few 100 test wickets but now its just getting old. Give it a rest old chap. SLC should just quickly arrange 1 Test against BANG so he can get his 800 wickets and retire

 

[rahuldravidfan]

"I am 37 years old and I can't bowl as much as those days because I get tired after 15-16 overs. But I will try and play a little bit of one-day cricket, that's only 10 overs to bowl.

Another champion bowler wants to bow out of the longer format. ICC needs to do something to revive the players and fans' interest in Test cricket before all champion players opt out of Tests to play longer in the shorter format of the game.

 

[pcfan123]

I don't think he is opting out becasue he has lost interest in Test cricket, he is just getting old. Everyone has to retire at some point, and there will be plenty of Test superstars in the future, Gambhir, AB DV, JP Dumminy, KP, Akmals ....... and on and on

 

[Howsie]

Another champion bowler wants to bow out of the longer format. ICC needs to do something to revive the players and fans' interest in Test cricket before all champion players opt out of Tests to play longer in the shorter format of the game.

Oh lord :sarcasm

 

[Dare]

Oh lord :sarcasm

I gave up in the other thread man.

 

[drainpipe32]

All good things must come to an end.

 

[irottev]

He's 37. Most players don't even make it that long in the international game.

 

[drainpipe32]

Spinner really need to attack more, if they're gonna last in the international game.

Pitches are starting to favour bowlers less, especially spinners. They have to be willing to toss the ball up, and risk going for runs.

 

[aussie1st]

Hes got nothing to achieve in Test cricket, apart from SL becoming number 1 but that has been made harder with the loss to India. He already has a World Cup under his belt in ODIs so there is quite the appeal for him to keep going there.

 

[drainpipe32]

Yeah, his time has come for mine. Ideally it would be great for him to go out after their next home series, would be a good way for a champion to go out.

SL have got a pretty solid spin base without him now, Herath and Mendis both very capable.

 

[SaiSrini]

Murali retiring because of pitches? Remember there used to be one time when people said "he even turned the ball on glass". Where did all that go?

He has been a good bowler and has had the luck as well. The best thing for him was he was compared with a legend like Warne when he wasnt even as good (I will never consider a bowler with an arm like him on par with legends).

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Murali's been around so long, batsman are capable of reading him and picking up what he bowls.

Stuff like this happens all the time. Players fall in form, become predictable, lose their edge. Players like Sachin re-discover themselves, invent new ways to succeed, change their methods and move to the top again. Whether Murali will do that depends on him. He's certainly capable, but age is catching up, and if he thinks he can't bowl as much as he used to, then it's probably time to call it a day.

 

[pcfan123]

Will be nice once he retires and we can close this controversial chapter in cricket history. He did not help his cause by sticking around for so long either. Don't want to get into a whole Warne is better / Murali played Bangaldesh a lot thing here but there is some truth to it.