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Muttiah Muralitharan officially inducted into ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

Kiri

Kiri

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Wishes going to the great but 'controversial' legend from SL. He's 42 today.

Muttiah-Muralitharan-006.jpg
 
GOAT spinner. Totally transformed Lanka. Is he playing in the IPL? I might tune in for four overs if he is.
 
The most successful bowler in Tests and One Day Internationals, Muttiah Muralidaran, was today formally inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame by ICC Chief Executive David Richardson during the innings break of the India versus Sri Lanka ICC Champions Trophy match at The Oval.

The retired Sri Lanka spin great was awarded the honour along with Arthur Morris, George Lohmann and Karen Rolton by fellow ICC Cricket Hall of Famers and members of the media. He became the first player from Sri Lanka and the 83rd overall to be formally inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame when Mr. Richardson presented him with a commemorative framed cap.

Muralidaran: “It is a moment of great pride and honour to be receiving this award, especially from the ICC which is the ultimate any cricketer can aspire to achieve. The induction during this prestigious ICC Champions Trophy makes it even more remarkable.

“I thank the ICC for making this possible because this is a moment I will cherish throughout life.”

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson: “Murali’s record speaks for itself. His control of line, pace and length coupled with his ability to spin the ball prodigiously are legendary. Once he developed the “doosra” he became almost unplayable.

“A character popular with fellow players and fans alike, he not only helped raise the profile of Sri Lankan cricket but was a player people came out to watch the world over. I congratulate him on behalf of the ICC on being inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.”

Muralidaran’s career at a glance:

Muralidaran is the most successful Test bowler with 800 wickets in 133 matches
He has taken 67 five-wicket innings hauls and 22 10-wicket match hauls in Tests
He is also the most successful in ODI cricket with 534 wickets in 350 matches
He was a member of the squad that won the ICC Cricket World Cup 1996 and also of the one that shared the ICC Champions Trophy 2002 with India

https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-zone/news/409767
 
In recognition of Mutiiah Muralitharan’s record breaking bowling achievements, Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium will be named as Muttiah Muralitharan Cricket Stadium and this decision has been taken by the Kundasale Pradeshiya Sabha recently. This was stated by Erik Prasanna Weerawardena, the Private Secretary of the President, Maithripala Sirisena in a letter addressed to Dayasiri Jayasekera, the Minister of Sports on December 21, 2016. Weerawardena’s has stated that Muralitharan’s father. S.Muthiah has also requested for this from the President by a letter sent by him on the January 3, 2017.

Weerawardena has further requested from the Secretary of the Ministry of Sports on the 19 th of Junuary 2017 to name the Pallekelle Stadium as Muthiah Muralitharan Stadium.

A similar letter relevant to that was sent by D.M.Swaminathan, Minister of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, re-settlement & Religious affairs to the Minister of Sports on September 7, 2017.

Muttiah Muralitharan, former Test Cricketer was a legend in the Central Province who is a product of St.Anthony’s College, Katugastota.

Cricket lovers all over the Island appreciate the service Mutiiah Muralitharan has done for,Sri Lanka and no sports loving person will object to naming the Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium in his name.

http://dailynews.lk/2017/10/24/sports/132234/pallekelle-stadium-be-named-after-muralitharan
 
Congrats to him and Sri Lankan fans. I wonder what'll be the opinion of Aussie fans regarding his induction.
 
Australians were jealous of him as murali was the leading wicket taker rather than their beloved warne 😜.Anyways Murali was a truly magician , irrespective of the rubbish talk of him being chucker.
 
Godhelpma said:
Australians were jealous of him as murali was the leading wicket taker rather than their beloved warne ��.Anyways Murali was a truly magician , irrespective of the rubbish talk of him being chucker.
Click to expand...

Warne was leading the tally until Murali broke his record. And what's there to be jealous about? I'm pretty sure Australians weren't jealous of Lara when he broke Border's record of most Test runs. So why would they be jealous of Murali?
 
Today on January 5th, 1995

"During the second Test between Sri Lanka and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Boxing Day 1995, Australian umpire Darrell Hair called Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing in front of a crowd of 55000. The off-spinner was no-balled seven times in three overs by Hair, who believed the then 23 year old was bending his arm and straightening it in the process of delivery; an illegal action in cricket."

Hair and Emerson!
 
For those throwing trash at the accusers of Murali in that era need to go look at his action, it really did look very suspicious albeit an illusion created due to a disability in his arm. TBH i would have called him a chucker as well if he wasn't proven innocent.
 
His career would have long been over had he been playing in the current rules. Would have received the Ajmal treatment from everyone and would have had nowhere to turn too.
 
MenInG said:
Today on January 5th, 1995

"During the second Test between Sri Lanka and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Boxing Day 1995, Australian umpire Darrell Hair called Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing in front of a crowd of 55000. The off-spinner was no-balled seven times in three overs by Hair, who believed the then 23 year old was bending his arm and straightening it in the process of delivery; an illegal action in cricket."

Hair and Emerson!
Click to expand...

Can you imagine that happening today? Would be chaos!
 
It would have been interesting to see him bowl today, with soooo many rules and regulations going around I think it would be difficult for him to pass and continue to having a bowling career
 
Only person of his kind and with that surname in cricket

Conducted it all his feats all by himself

Credit to him
 
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5Q8m43-YLd4" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

my fav Murali video.
 
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Was Muttiah Muralitharan a wrist spinner?

SL correspondent Andrew Fidel Fernando has written (on more than one occaision) that Murali (an off spinner), primarily used his wrist and is therefore a "wrist spinner".

I didn't actually watch him bowl much except for a few games on crappy streams (by today's HD standards) so can anyone confirm if Murali was in fact a wrist spinner?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
He was definitely not a finger spinner. Created all the magic with that wrist of his which he could rotate almost 360 degrees! He could bowl the doosra, top spinner, sometime leg spin and the stock off spinner through his wrist variations. Fair to call him a wrist spinner.
 
Murali wasn't a finger spinner and used his wrist to turn the ball. Even though Off Spinners and Left Arm spinners are generally finger spinners, Murali wasn't that. He used his wrist to impart enormous turn and was very difficult to read.
 
47 today.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&#55357;&#56393; Most wickets in Tests: 800<br>&#55357;&#56393; Most wickets in ODIs: 534<br><br>He represented &#55356;&#56817;&#55356;&#56816; in 487 games before finishing a spectacular career with 1,347 international wickets, including 77 five-fors and a career-best spell of 9/51.<br><br>Happy birthday to legendary spinner Muttiah Muralitharan! <a href="https://t.co/oygjlZUv7j">pic.twitter.com/oygjlZUv7j</a></p>— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1118350843294756864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">17 April 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Would he have been able to bowl when they changed the rules in 2014ish?
 
49 years old today - Happy Birthday to Murali
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Happy birthday to the highest wicket-taker in international cricket – Sri Lanka legend Muttiah Muralitharan! &#55358;&#56691; <a href="https://t.co/lpFupFEPtL">pic.twitter.com/lpFupFEPtL</a></p>— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1383284150732394503?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
In Muttiah Muralitharan’s 49th birthday, we look back on some of the greatest moments in his career.

DEBUT

Muttiah Muralitharan’s first taste of international cricket came at the Premadasa in Colombo.

Only 20 years old, he lined up against Allan Border’s Australia. So beguiling was the off-spinner that in a tour match that preceded the Test series, Border had been left swearing Muralitharan was a leg-spinner. And this was before he had the doosra in his arsenal.

It was a quiet start for the Sri Lankan wizard, taking three wickets for the Test. His lone wicket in the first innings was that of Craig McDermott. No one could have foreseen that was the first of 800 he would claim in his Test career.


STARRING IN A HISTORIC WIN

Sri Lanka won an overseas Test for the first time in 1995, beating New Zealand in Napier by 241 runs, with two future greats at the heart of the victory.

Chaminda Vaas took 5/47 to bowl New Zealand out for 109 in their first innings and backed it up with 5/43 in their second. But the seamer was not alone in his dismantling of the hosts, with Muralitharan taking 5/64 as New Zealand was bowled out for 185.

They were crucial wickets too, with the offie accounting for five of New Zealand’s top seven. He removed Bryan Young early but the Kiwis’ pursuit of 427 was looking a distinct possibility as they reached 108/1.

Muralitharan turned the match on its head from there, accounting for Mark Greatbatch, Stephen Fleming, Shane Thomson, and Adam Parore.


WINNING THE WORLD CUP

Twenty-five years on it remains the most iconic moment in Sri Lanka’s cricket history – their ICC Men's Cricket World Cup victory in 1996.

Rank underdogs going into the tournament, Sri Lanka went on to beat one of the favourites in the final, defeating Australia by seven wickets as Muralitharan took an economic 1/31 off his 10 overs. He was one of only two Sri Lankans to leak less than five-runs-an-over for the match.

It was the kind of frugality Muralitharan stood out for throughout the tournament, with his economy of 3.77 the fifth-best of anyone who took more than five wickets at the event.

He took seven wickets for the campaign and went on to finish his career with 68 at 19.63 in World Cup matches. Only Glenn McGrath (71 at 18.19) has taken more.


STUNNING ENGLAND IN 1998

Sri Lanka unabashedly hung their entire game plan against England on Muralitharan in 1998.

Playing a one-off Test at the Oval, Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga surprised everyone when he elected to bowl first after winning the toss. Knowing Muralitharan was their best chance of bowling England out twice, Sri Lanka wanted to give him as much time as possible and were wary of needing to employ the follow-on, which would rob him of the chance to rest between innings.

He went on to bowl 113.5 overs for the match – the most by any bowler since 1962 and a mark that has not been eclipsed since.

More importantly for Sri Lanka, they were fruitful overs too with Muralitharan taking 16/220 for the match – the fifth-best Test figures of all time.

In the first innings, he won the battle of patience, taking 7/155 from 59.3 overs as England were bowled out for 445. In England’s second innings, he was a one-man wrecking-ball, claiming 9/65 to bowl the hosts out for 181 and set up a simple 36-run chase for Sri Lanka.

The lone wicket he missed out on was Alec Stewart, who was run out for 32.

As it turned out, 1998 would be a breakout year for the spinner, who claimed 68 Test wickets at 18.47.

“Muralitharan is not merely a top-class bowler,” Ranatunga was quoted on his return to Sri Lanka from England. “He is an unbelievable bowler who is found one in 100 years or so. It was important that we had him on our side and we needed him to get wickets and he provided us the results.”

A special match from Muttiah Muralitharan.A special match from Muttiah Muralitharan.



ODI HISTORY AGAINST INDIA

Taking on an impressive Indian outfit at Sharjah in 2000, Muralitharan set a new record for the best-ever figures in a men’s ODI.

The Sri Lankan ran riot on his way to figures of 7/30 from his 10 overs, striking every time the Indians just started to get into a groove.

His first wicket, of Robin Singh, ended a 75-run stand. His second, of Sachin Tendulkar, removed the Indian maestro for 61. He went on to dismiss Vinod Kambli (10), Hemang Badani (42) and Vijay Dahiya (40) after they all made starts, with Yuvraj Singh (7) and Sunil Joshi (3) rounding out the seven-for.

The record only stood for a little more than a year, with compatriot Chaminda Vaas (8/19) setting a new benchmark against Zimbabwe in December 2001.


ALMOST BREAKING LAKER’S RECORD

Less than two years after his ODI record-setting performance against India, he came agonisingly close to breaking the record for the best figures in a Test match.

Jim Laker’s figures of 10/53 against Australia have stood as the benchmark since 1956. Muralitharan came within one wicket of ending Laker’s reign.

He struck with just his second ball of the match to remove Trevor Gripper and had four wickets in his first seven overs. By the time he dismissed Grant Flower for his ninth wicket he had only leaked 47 runs.

Alas, it was not to be as Vaas found Henry Olonga’s edge to end Zimbabwe’s innings and leave Muralitharan with the bittersweet haul of 9/51.

In the next match, he would pick up another nine wickets to take his Test tally past 400. He reached the landmark in just 72 Tests – quicker than any player ever has.


TOPPLING WALSH – 2004

Muralitharan took only another 15 matches to take his 500th Test wicket, removing Michael Kasprowicz at his home ground in Kandy to get there.

He was the third bowler to the 500-wicket mark following Courtney Walsh in 2001 and Shane Warne, who beat Muralitharan to the milestone just a match earlier.

However, Muralitharan still set the record for the fewest Tests to 500 wickets, racing there in just 87 matches. He is the only bowler to have taken 500 wickets in fewer than 100 Tests.

Two matches later he became Test cricket’s greatest ever wicket-taker for the first time in his career, going past Walsh’s 519 poles in a match against Zimbabwe at Harare.

He was mobbed by fans on his return home.

"I'm very happy to have achieved this record for the country," he said. "It's a huge honour and I am very grateful for all the support I have received. Everyone has done so much for me."


STUNNING ENGLAND AGAIN

Eight years after inspiring a famous victory for Sri Lanka in England, Muralitharan did it again in 2006.

Chasing 325 to win at Trent Bridge, England had enjoyed a solid start thanks to Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss. The pair had put on 84 runs when Muralitharan produced the breakthrough, bowling Trescothick through the gate for 31.

He went on to take each of the next six wickets and looked on course to take all 10 until Matthew Hoggard was run out. As things turned out, he would finish with figures of 8/70 in a 134-run victory.

"That was probably one of his best performances," a nonchalant Mahela Jayawardene said after the match. "But there have been quite a few. He does this on quite a regular basis, so it's probably in his top ten or whatever."

Another Muralitharan inspired victory in England.Another Muralitharan inspired victory in England.


GOING PAST WARNE

Muralitharan reclaimed the record for the most Test wickets in his 116th match when he bowled Paul Collingwood with a doosra. Fittingly, he did so at his home ground of Kandy.

The spinner had gone to bed the previous night tied with Warne on 708 Test wickets and was forced to wait for the milestone moment by some inclement weather in his hometown. But the wait did little to dampen the mood when he finally got there.

"Congratulations to Murali - he's been a wonderful player for a long period of time," a now-retired Warne said of the achievement.

"He's an excellent competitor and has been great for Sri Lankan cricket. He's a great bloke too. He'll probably go on and get 1000 now but today I'd just like to say 'well done on the record'."


LIFTING SRI LANKA TO ANOTHER WORLD CUP FINAL

Muralitharan excelled in every World Cup he played in but his most fruitful tournament was the 2007 edition in the Caribbean, where Sri Lanka reached the final for the first time since 1996.

The veteran took 23 wickets at 15.26 for the campaign, leaking just 4.14 runs an over and striking every 22 deliveries.

He loomed as the dangerman for Australia in the final, going into it in hot form after taking back-to-back four-wicket hauls, including 4/31 in the semi against New Zealand.

Muralitharan was a key part of the attack when Sri Lanka beat Australia in the ’96 final. This time around, however, the Australians would finish the victors.


ECLIPSING AKRAM

Muralitharan became just the second bowler ever to take 500 ODI wickets in 2009, joining Wasim Akram in a club that still only features two players.

Fittingly, the 500th wicket came against Pakistan as well.

Four matches later, he went past Akram’s record of 502 when he drew an edge from India’s Gautam Gambhir.

To his credit, Akram could not have been happier for the Sri Lankan.

"I noticed his progress in 2003 and realised he was the only man who could break my record," he told AFP at the time. "At times I jokingly told him not to play one-day cricket, so that my record would remain intact, but he is relentless in taking wickets. I am happy that a bowler of his calibre has broken my record.

"No matter what type of surface he has played on, no matter in which country, and against which team...he is simply great and more than a good bowler, he is a good human being."


A FITTING FINALE

Playing his 133rd and final Test, Muralitharan signed off from the red-ball game in style at Galle in 2010 against India.

Heading into the match on 792 Test wickets, his hopes of becoming the first bowler to ever take 800 Test wickets looked slim but if there was anyone who could do it, it was him.

It took until day three for him to take his first wicket, trapping Sachin Tendulkar in front, and it was only on day four that he took his second, bowling MS Dhoni through the gate with a delivery that turned in sharply. But from there, things started to happen quickly as Muralitharan took 5/63 in India’s first innings and Kumar Sangakkara enforced the follow-on.

He took Test wicket No.798 with the final ball of day four, removing Yuvraj Singh and took wicket 799 early on day five when he trapped Harbhajan Singh in front. But his hopes of taking his 800th wicket were dealt a blow when Lasith Malinga knocked over Abhimanyu Mithun and Angelo Mathews ran out VVS Laxman to leave India nine down.

For 15 overs they would be nine down as every bowler not named ‘Muttiah’ bowled conservative lines outside off waiting for a man they had all idolised growing up to have his moment. Finally, on the 44,035th and last legal delivery of his Test career, Muralitharan struck, drawing an edge from Pragyan Ojha to bow out of the format with 800 wickets at 22.72.


FAREWELLING SRI LANKA IN STYLE

Muralitharan’s last home match for Sri Lanka was in the semi-finals of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2011, taking on New Zealand for a spot in the decider.

He took 2/42 in the match and, just as he had in his final Test, struck with his last ball of international cricket on home soil, trapping Scott Styris in front in the 47th over.

Sri Lanka went on to win the match and while the final would not be a fairy tale result for Muralitharan, he at least got to enjoy a triumphant lap of honour at the Premadasa after the semi – the same ground he made his international debut on fourteen years earlier.


HALL OF FAME INDUCTION

Six years on from his final international match, Muralitharan became the first Sri Lankan player to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, during the Champions Trophy in England.

With 800 Test wickets at 22.72 and 534 ODI wickets at 23.08, it was always a case of when not if.

“It is a moment of great pride and honour to be receiving this award, especially from the ICC which is the ultimate any cricketer can aspire to achieve,” he said. “The induction during this prestigious ICC Champions Trophy makes it even more remarkable.

“I thank the ICC for making this possible because this is a moment I will cherish throughout life.”
 
Absolute legend.

A real shame that I only was able to tune into the very end of his career, but his record speaks for itself.
 
Sri Lankan cricket legend Muttiah Muralitharan, who is part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad support staff in the ongoing IPL, has undergone angioplasty in Chennai. According to media reports, the champion off-spinner "had a stent fitted to unblock an artery, and will rejoin Sunrisers Hyderabad when discharged". The 49-year-old is the leading wicket-taker in international cricket with 1347 scalps. Muralitharan represented Sri Lanka in 133 Tests, 350 ODIs and 12 T20 Internationals. He took a staggering 800 wickets in the longest format, 534 in the ODIs and 13 in the T20s.

He was also part of Sri Lanka's ODI World Cup triumph in 1996.

He has been the bowling coach and mentor of Sunrisers Hyderabad since 2015. His team has suffered three losses in a row this season.

https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/mut...goes-heart-surgery-in-chennai-report-2416618?
 
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