Muttiah Muralitharan

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Muttiah Muralitharan (born April 17, 1972 in Kandy), also simply referred to as Murali, is a Sri Lankan cricketer specializing in off spin bowling. He has been a member of the Sri Lankan cricket team since 1992 since making his Test debut against Australia at Colombo in the Australian cricket tour of Sri Lanka of 1992 and ODI against India at Colombo in 1993. Muralitharan is the only Tamil in the Sri Lankan cricket team.

Related Topics:
April 17 - 1972 - Kandy - Sri Lanka - Cricket - Off spin - Bowling - Sri Lankan cricket team - 1992 - Australia - Colombo - ODI - India - 1993 - Tamil

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Statistically, he is one of the most effective spin bowlers ever to play cricket in both forms of the game (Test and One Day International). Currently his record stands at over 500 Test wickets at an average of just 22. This compares favourably to other contemporary spin bowlers; Shane Warne's bowling average is 25, Anil Kumble's 28 and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh's 27.

Related Topics:
Test - One Day International - Shane Warne - Anil Kumble - Harbhajan Singh

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In 2002, Wisden named him the greatest bowler of all time. On May 8, 2004, in Zimbabwe, he overtook West Indian Courtney Walsh's then record of 519 Test match wickets to become the highest-wicket taker of all time. Warne, an Australian leg-spinner, is his only current rival for that record; he overtook Muralitharan's number of wickets in late 2004. Warne believes that Muralitharan will eventually be the one to finish with the record, saying he believes that Muralitharan will take "1000 wickets" before he retires. Later that year, Muralitharan became an ambassador for the United Nations World Food Program, and joined the campaign to prevent children around the world going hungry.

Related Topics:
2002 - Wisden - Bowler - May 8 - 2004 - Zimbabwe - West Indian - Courtney Walsh - Test match - Australia - Leg-spinner - United Nations - World Food Program

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A notable feature of Muralitharan is his unique run-up action of "flapping wings" resembling the flapping wings of a chicken and bulging eyes, in which the latter adds a somewhat painful look to his highly effective bowling. He is considered as a "big turner" of the ball due to the amount of spin he puts on the ball with his fingers, in addition to the flighting of the ball that is very hard for a batsman to play at.

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His main weapons include the off-break which turns into the batsman and the stumps, the top-spinner which goes straight on and is bowled at a faster speed then a normal off-break, and his controversial doosra, which is his version of a leg-break that turns away from a batsman and the stumps.

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Muralitharan said he was "lucky to be alive" after narrowing missing the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake by just 20 minutes http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=100039&Sn=SPOR&IssueID=27284. One week later, Muralitharan was reported http://www.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2005/JAN/147001_SL_03JAN2005.html to have helped to distribute food to victims of the Tsunami.

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Muralitharan married an Indian woman, Mathimalar Ramamurthy on March 21, 2005 http://www.icc-cricket.com/db/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2005/FEB/173451_SL_01FEB2005.html.

Related Topics:
Indian - March 21

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