Murali sets Test retirement date.

[Luke Skywalker]

This record is not going to last more than 20 years.

[strider]

Originally Posted by siddharth

Sri Lankan off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has said he will retire from Test cricket next year. Murali, who is the highest wicket-taker in Tests with 770 wickets in 127 Tests, announced that the two-Test home series against West Indies in November 2010 would be his last.



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Source:Here

I take him as the world's best spinner, if not bowler. I got to meet him once, my freind had his cousins to his house, then i came to know those cousins were nephews of murali, their dad was a brother of murali.

He had come to the middle east once, so had met him in sharjah also!

[panchabhut]

Originally Posted by Luke Skywalker

Chandrashekhar was legspinner. Before posting get your facts right. He had polio in wrist it did not mean he used to chuck.

Read the memoirs of Tiger Pataudi and u might be surprised.
The polio affected wrist gave Chandra an unique advantage. On certain days his wrist could rotate almost 300 degrees. on those days he was just unstoppable. Clive Lloyd wrote about one such day in his book when Chanda single handedly defeated West Indies from the sight of sure victory. but technically speaking that was an action not purely in the rule book. and how do you think he used to sent those yorkers and bouncers from his shortish run up?

And as far as reporting bowlers is concerned, so far all such reporting has been done by umpires of one single country.

[itsmemad]

I respect Murali for his bowling and humble nature. It's unfortunate that people still call him a chucker even after he has taken 700+ test wickets.

Some humor-

Bishan Singh Bedi (I respect him too, and consider him a great serious comedian ) once said, if people with disabilities can play international cricket, there should be blind umpires too...

[just4kix]

Originally Posted by itsmemad

I respect Murali for his bowling and humble nature. It's unfortunate that people still call him a chucker even after he has taken 700+ test wickets.

Some humor-

Bishan Singh Bedi (I respect him too, and consider him a great serious comedian ) once said, if people with disabilities can play international cricket, there should be blind umpires too...

There are - Steve Bucknor, for one.

[Luke Skywalker]

Originally Posted by panchabhut

Read the memoirs of Tiger Pataudi and u might be surprised.
The polio affected wrist gave Chandra an unique advantage. On certain days his wrist could rotate almost 300 degrees. on those days he was just unstoppable. Clive Lloyd wrote about one such day in his book when Chanda single handedly defeated West Indies from the sight of sure victory. but technically speaking that was an action not purely in the rule book. and how do you think he used to sent those yorkers and bouncers from his shortish run up?

And as far as reporting bowlers is concerned, so far all such reporting has been done by umpires of one single country.

Chandra had long run up. His wrist used to bend not his hands . There is nothing in rule book about that. So it is legal. But if there is anything against which there is rule it is illegal. As far as myself is concerned Asian players are getting undue preferences now in that respect.

[itsmemad]

Originally Posted by just4kix

There are - Steve Bucknor, for one.

Yes, that's true. Indians have suffered a lot. Especially Tendulkar and Bhajji. I can't forget the shoulder before the wicket decision he gave against Tendulkar.

Another humor from Bishen Singh Bedi-

At an ICC or some other award function when the Australians were in their prime under coach John Buchanan, Bedi was invited on the stage to do the honors for Buchanan. Before giving the trophy to Buchanan, Bedi asked him-

"I wanted to know if you have made the Australian cricket or Australian cricket has made you."

[sagar rao]

muralli is the best. 770 wickets ia abig achievement. one who wants to break muralis record will have to forget days and night to achieve that number.

[Luke Skywalker]

So was said for Fred Trueman.So where is his record now?

[panchabhut]

It is rarely that a bowler takes more than 6/7 wickets in a test match.
Even if a bowler continues to take 7 wicket every test match, he will need more than 110 test matches to surpass Murali.
Assuming that he plays international cricket for 12 years (which itself is a difficult proposition for any bowler) he would need to play more than 9 tests every year.

under the present circumstances, the odds against all of the above happening togather is very high.

[Luke Skywalker]

Which is achievable. As this generation is playing more cricket. All highest test matches playing player have come from this generation.

[panchabhut]

actually all highest test playing cricketers came from the last generation which is retiring now. The number of test matches today are almost 25% less than what was there 5 years ago. and with the popularity of ODI and T20 ever increasing, it going to be less and less only.

[Luke Skywalker]

Some stats disproving that:-
45(12 months from now)
88 (2 years from 7 Aug 2009)
116 ( 3 years from now)
171 ( 4 years from now)
220 ( 5 years from now)
276 ( 6 years from now)
318 ( 7 years from now)
375 ( 8 years from now)
422 (9)
472 (10)
507 (11)
555 (12)
599 (13)
628 (14)
665 (15)
699 (16)
736 (17)
755 (18)
781 (19)
805 (20)
45
88
116
171
220
276
318
375
422
472
507
555
599
628
665
699
736
755
781
805

Stat of matches played.
43 Only 13% less than 5 years ago.
28
28
55
49
56
42
57
47
50
35
48
44
29
37
19
26
24


Matches played in 80s:266
Matches played in 90s:347
Matches played in 2000's:449


Generalizing these stats are not that easy but one thing is for sure that trend is upward not downward. Test have not been played by some teams due to security concern which has hit it hard but in last 12 months it has bounced back like it did after WWII. ODI had lost it meaning as we have T20. Many crickter had said that it should be discontinued.
I am apologizing if i have hurt some body feelings but didn't a great crickter himself said that record are meant to be broken. Thre is nothing sad in that. Murali record had potential to live till 20 years which is quite a large achievement which will be difficult to attain but not it is not difficult to break his record.
There were some green years when test were playd more butthese things happen last 12 months is showing sign that we will get this soon.
I am not saying he is not a great but he is not the greatest. He had been surrounded by controversies unlike Sachin Tendulkar.

Originally Posted by Luke

Matches played in 80s:266
Matches played in 90s:347
Matches played in 2000's:449

Agreed, but you're missing a fact that 2000's is about to complete and we are moving in a new phrase, I am sure in the early era of 2010's the trend would be alot different.

[Luke Skywalker]

@ Dragon I know that but matches were not played between 2-5 years only because ogf security concern & some country didn't get to be played. I agree Murali is a great player but not greatest like Tendulkar is in ODI. His rate of century making is exceptional in ODI. In case of Murali , he had bowled majority of overs for Lanke.

Originally Posted by Luke

@ Dragon I know that but matches were not played between 2-5 years only because ogf security concern & some country didn't get to be played. I agree Murali is a great player but not greatest like Tendulkar is in ODI. His rate of century making is exceptional in ODI. In case of Murali , he had bowled majority of overs for Lanke.

When it's about Tendulkar I totally agree with you. But are we comparing legends over here?

[Luke Skywalker]

Originally Posted by Dragon

When it's about Tendulkar I totally agree with you. But are we comparing legends over here?

@ Dragon. Some are calling Murali as greatest which is a great folly. You have to consider Bradman , Tendulkar , Sobers , Barnes and some other bowlers and batmen who have not played much matches or didn't bowl much overs as was with Murali. He is greatest off spinner but not greatest bowler.

Valid point. Every one has his own likes and dislikes, its own choices. Most of us were not there when the other legends, you have mentioned,(except tendulkar) played their best, that's why they might be not their favourite. At the end of the day its your choice.

[Punch Farce]

in my time, Vivian Richards/Gavaskar/Vishwanath were my favourite batsmen
Bedi/Prasanna/Chandrashekar/ were my favourite bowlers
and Kapil Dev/Ian Botham was my favourite all-rounders

Have never seen many of the legends...

tendulkar is the only one i have seen playing throughout....