Name : Muttiah Muralitharan.
Nick Name : Murali.
Date of Birth : 17 April, 1972.
Place of Birth : Nattarampotha in Kunda sale (near Kandy), Sri Lanka.
Batting Style : Right Handed Batsman.
Bowling Style : Right Arm Off break.
Role : Genuine Off break bowler.
ODI Debut : against India in 1993.
TEST Debut : against Australia in 1992.
Playing Teams : Tamil Union cricket and Asthetic club (in 91/92), Lancashire (99-07), Kent (2003), Chennai Super Kings(IPL), and Sri Lanka.
ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL CAREER::
Matches : 305*(as on April 2008).
Wickets : 464
Best figures : 7/30 vs. India at Sharjah in 2000.
Economy : 4.26run’s per over.
Average : 23.06(Bowl)
5/10 wickets : 8/0
Runs : 516
Best : 27
Average : 5.86(Bat).
Catches :120 .
TEST CAREER::
Matches : 120*(as on April 2008)
Wickets : 735
Best figures : 9/51
Economy : 3.16run’s per over.
Average : 21.95(Bowl)
5/10 wickets : 63/20.
Runs : 1156
Best : 67
Average : 11.56(Bat)
Catches : 68.
Murali’s Personal Information::
Muttiah Muralitharan is a Sri Lankan Tamil of Indian Origin. His paternal grandfather “Periyasamy Sinasamy came from South India to work in the to Plantations of central Sri Lanka in 1920. He later returned to India with his daughters and settled in Tiruchirapalli; however his sons, including Muralitharan’s father remained in Sri Lanka.
Muralitharan was born in the village of Nattaram Potha in Kunda sale (near Kandy), as the eldest of the 4 son’s to Sinnasamy Muttiah and Lakshmi Muralitharan’s father Sinnasamy Muttiah runs a successful biscuit making business.
At the nine years, Murali was told to attend to St.Anthony’s college, Kandy a private school run by Benedictine monks. Murali started his cricketing career as medium pace bowler, but on the advice of his coach he started bowling off spin when Murali was 14. In those days when he played for his school he was a middle order batsman and also a spin bowler (that he played as an all rounder for his team). He was also named as the “Bata school boy cricketer of the year” in 1990/91 season.
Murali joined Tamil Union Cricket and Asthetic club and was also selected for the Sri Lanka A, but he could not able to impress or could not able even to take a single wicket. Murali grandfather died at the age of 104 and grandmother one month earlier at the age of 97. The late grandfather enjoyed a great relationship with Murali. Murali married Madhimalar Ramamurthy an Indian national on March 21, 2005. Madhimalar is daughter of late Dr.S. Ramamurthy of Malar Hospitals and his wife Dr. Nihau Ramamurthy. Their first child Naren was born in Jan 2006.
Starting from his Career::
Murali was selected for the Sri Lanka A tour of England in 1991, when he left school and joined “Tamil Union cricket and Athletic club”. He played in five games but failed to capture a single wicket. On his return to Sri Lanka he impressed against Allan Border’s Australian team in a practice game and then went to make his Test debut at R. Premadasa stadium in the second Test Match of the series. In Domestic cricket, Muralitharan has played for two first class Sri Lankan sides, “Tamil Union cricket and Athletic club” in the Premier Trophy and central province in the provincial championship. His record has been exceptional taking 234 wickets at 14.51runs in 46matches.
Murali has also played county cricket in England mainly for a Lancashire (from 1999 to 2007) and for Kent during 2003. Murali played his first match against India at the Khettrama stadium and took 1 for 38 off his ten overs. Praveen Amre was his first ODI wicket.
Some highlights of his ODI Career::
~ On October 27, 2000 in Sharjah Murali captured 7 for 30 against India, which were then the best bowling figures in ODI’s.
~ On April 9, 2002 Muralitharan achieved a career peak ODI bowling rating of 913, based on the LG ICC player rankings. This is also puts him in the 4th place in the LG ICC best ever ODI bowling ratings.
~ Murali has played in 4 cricket world cup tournaments in 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2007 and captured 53 world cup wickets in 31 matches.
He played many ODI’s for Sri Lanka and could capture 464 wickets in ODI matches. Muralitharan is the first wrist spinning off spinner in the history of the game. He bowls marathon spells, yet it forever on the attack. His unique bowling action begins with on open chested short run up and culminates with an extremely wristy release which had him mistaken for a leg spinner early in his career by Allan Border.
In February 2008, Muralitharan was slated to play Twenty20 cricket for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He was bought for $600,000 by India cements, the Chennai franchisee of the IPL, through a bidding process.
Murali played his first Test match against Australia in 1992 at the age of 20. In his first match he claimed 3 wickets and giving away 141runs. His first Test wicket was Craig Mc Dermott. During his first test, there was one dismissal which convinced many of Muralitharan’s special Powers. Tom Moody’s leg stump was dislodged when he shouldered arms to a delivery that pitched at least two feet outside the off stump. The youthful Muralitharan went from strength to strength, playing a major part in Sri Lanka’s back to back Test victories against England and New Zealand in 1992-93season.
It was in New Zealand in March 1995 that Muralitharan displayed his qualities as a match winner on any surface. He took 19 wickets in the series and delivering a historic 2-1 victory, the off spinner silenced the doubters.
During the second Test between Sri Lanka and Australia at MCG on Boxing Day 1995, Australian umpire Darrell Hair called Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing in front of crowd 55,239. The off spinner was no-balled seven times in 3 overs by Hair, who believed at then 23 year old was bending his arm and straightening it in the process of delivery an illegal action in cricket. In January 1998, Muralitharan took his first ten wicket haul against Zimbabwe in the first Test at Kandy; in that match Murali had figures of 12 for 117 which were won by his team. In the same year, he produced his career best test match figures of 16 for 220 against England. Murali became the fastest to reach the 400 wicket landmark when he bowled Olongo in the third test in Galle against Zimbabwe.
Murali’s highlights in Test Cricket::
~ On March 16, 2004 Murali became the fastest and youngest bowler to reach 500th wicket playing against mighty Australians.
~ On May 2004 Muralitharan overtook West Indian Courtney Walsh’s record of 519 Test wickets to become the highest wicket taker.
~ In July 2007 Muttiah Muralitharan became the second bowler after Australia’s Shane Warne to capture 700 Test wickets.
~ On January 10, 2008 the parliament of Sri Lanka felicitated Muttiah Muralitharan for his world record breaking feat of being the highest wicket taker in Test cricket.
Murali’s Test wicket milestones::
~ 1st Craig Mc Dermotto of Australia (1st match).
~ 100th Stephen Fleming of New Zealand (27th match).
~ 200th Ben Hollioake of England (42nd match).
~ 300th Shaun Pollock of South Africa (58th match).
~ 400th Henry Olongo of Zimbabwe (72nd match).
~ 500th Micheal Kasprowicz of Australia (87th match).
~ 600th Khaled Mashud of Bangladesh (101st match).
~ 700th Syed Rasel of Bangladesh (113th match).
~ 709th Paul Collingwood of England (116th match).
Some Achievements and records of Murali::
~ Most Test wickets (723) as on 23 December, 2007.
~ The highest number of International Wickets in Test and ODI’s combined (1187wickets).
~ The most 5 wicket haul’s in an innings at Test level (63) and the most 10 wicket hauls in an innings at Test level (20).
~ He is only player to take 10 wicket/match against every Test playing nation.
~ Fastest player to reach (in minimum matches) 350, 400, 450, 500, 550, 600, 650 and 700 wickets.
~ Only Player to take 50+ wickets against every Test playing nation.
~ Most “Man of Series” awards in Test cricket (11).
~ The only bowler to take 75 or more wickets in a calendar year on 3 occasions achieving it in 2000, 2001 and 2006..