da stake casino： Muttiah Muralitharan, the man of the series against England, has urged SriLanka’s team management and selectors to give him sufficient time torecuperate and prepare for Australia’s Feb/Mar tour of Sri Lanka
Wisden Cricinfo Staff23-Dec-2003Muttiah Muralitharan, the man of the series against England, has urged SriLanka’s team management and selectors to give him sufficient time torecuperate and prepare for Australia’s Feb/Mar tour of Sri Lanka.© Getty ImagesMuralitharan was the key to Sri Lanka’s 1-0 series win, producing one of hisfinest performances of his career as he unveiled a newly mastered wrong’unthat turned wickedly and regularly deceived England’s batters.But it was hardwork for Muralitharan, who spent much of the tour nursing asore shoulder. In all, he reeled of 231.4 overs to take 26 wickets and 12.30apiece. Only in the final test did the rest of the attack support himproperly.Deep down, Muralitharan, now 31, knows that his body is now feeling thestrain and he’s concerned about the longevity of his career. His stated aimis to bow out after the 2007 World Cup providing injuries don’t force himout of the game sooner.Now he wants the selectors to allow him to play less domestic cricket (weassume he will not then go off to the UK to play more County Cricket) sothat he’s in peak condition for his international commitments."They made me play in the Premier League and I suffered a sore shoulderduring the England series," he said after the third Test. "If they are goingto play me in the Provincial Tournament as well it is going to be difficultfor me when the Australians come. I love bowling but I need more rest andshould play less domestic cricket."Muralitharan took Graham Thorpe, England’s hero during the 2002 tour andtheir most skilful player on the subcontinent, out of the equation,dismissing him five times out of six, mostly with the wrong’un that eithertrapped him lbw or had him stumped between bat and pad.Michael Vaughan admitted that England had struggled against the delivery:"The new delivery he has got caused us a lot of problems. All our batsmenhave struggled against it. It’s one thing picking it and another playingit."Muralitharan also believed that the delivery had been crucial to hissuccess: "It troubles batsman like Graham Thorpe. The last time he played meeasily because the ball was not coming in. He was waiting to cut and pullme. This time the ball was coming as well so he got out to me five out ofsix times. Batsmen now don’t know which way it is going to turn and thatmakes it very hard for them," he explained.Muralitharan now has 485 Test wickets from 85 matches. He’s six wicketsshort of drawing level with Shane Warne (491) and 35 wickets away fromCourtney Walsh’s (519) world record. Barring injury, he should have claimedthat record by April 2004, sometime during Sri Lanka’s tour of Zimbabwe."I think breaking Courtney’s record is now in my hands. I am just 30 or 40wickets behind it and with 3-4 years I will easily go past it now. Itdepends on how well Shane Warne bowls as to who gets there first though."If Muralitharan continues bowling like he did during the England series, andassuming he is not sidelined by injury, then Muralitharan can be expected towin the race.