Muttiah Muralitharan is a soft-spoken man, not one to get agitated easily. It was a rare sight to see him lose his cool when asked about Sri Lankan cricket’s downfall. In a conversation with ET, the Sri Lankan legend talks about what is wrong with Sri Lankan cricket, why wrist spinners offer better dividends in good batting conditions (referring to Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal) and more. Excerpts.
What is wrong with Sri Lanka cricket?
From the days of Sanath Jayasuriya, Kaluwitharana, Aravinda de Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga to today, it has undergone a sea change. Don’t go so far back. In 2014, we won the World T20 beating India in the final in Dhaka and in 2011 we made the final of the 50-over World Cup in India. So what we are seeing today is a very recent development. To tell you the truth Sri Lankan cricket is currently in a mess. Politicians have taken over the ru ..
While that is correct I’m also saying you have to keep your core intact. I always emphasised on bowling off-spin first and then trying out other things. Bowling too many doosras, for example, can impact your off spin bowling and it has happened to people in the past. That’s what modern day spinners need to keep in mind.
Coming to IPL, very good start to the season for your team.
It is a marathon and the race has just started. What we’ve done is create a team that has real good balance. Many people asked why we chose Wriddhiman Saha. It was a clearly thought out strategy. Last year we did not have good spin back-up options after Rashid Khan. This year we do. We have picked Sakib Al Hasan as our first choice left-arm spinner. When you have two quality spin bowlers in your team, it’s essential you have a good keeper. Else, the chances created by the spinners are wasted more often than not. So in that sense we’ve done what we could have. Now only time will tell if the planning gives us the results we are hoping for.
A word on David Warner’s absence — you must be missing him.
His are big shoes to fill. He has been an exceptional player for us and for any team he has played for. But there is little that can be done and I have to say Kane Williamson has led the team very well in Warner’s absence. He has the experience and has held the dressing room together quite nicely.
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