Tribute to Murali from a Fan
Thank you Murali,from All of us.
What else can you say about Muttiah that hasn’t already been said. Everyone was busy typing up columns and articles for their respective bosses when he over took Shane Warne as the most successful bowler in the history of the game.
But in my opinion those articles cannot be compared to what us fans have been treated to by Murali over the years. So its fitting that this post is all about us- the fans, and we have to say about the man.
Here is what Muralis fans had to say about their favorite Murali Moment(s)
“Everytime he hits a six (his) arms and legs goes everywhere and somehow the ball manages to clear the rope - and usually he has fallen on his backside attempting the shot”
-Lee Barnes from Australia
All Time Sri Lankan Test XI
February 17th-21st in 1982 marked Sri Lankas first ever test. A game we sadly lost the Englishmen, after fighting with them, neck and tooth, for the first few days. All in all it was a good start to our test career as a country.
And so, its been 25 years of test cricket for the Island nation. There have been many ups and downs in our short history in the game and currently Sri Lankan cricket is at its strongest. 106 players have pulled on our national colours and they have done a great service to our cricket in their own way.
I found this an opportune time to put my self in the shoes of the “Joker” and try some “Muppet Mastering” my self. My quest was to come up with the All time Sri Lankan Test XI. NO easy task but luckily I did have my trusty handbook, provided by SLC, to make my decisions easier.
Eng V SL 1st Test: Points to Ponder
Another home test and another win the Sri Lankans at Kandy. It was a bit tricky at the end and it took a couple of special balls from the golden boy from Kandy to seal the deal for the Lankans.
England came to Kandy knowing that they had to get something out of the 1st test if they were to stand a chance of winning this series. Visiting teams do unusually well in the former hill capital but order was restored and normal service resumed as Sri Lanka romped home for a 88 run victory.
100 and Out ?
Chaminda Vaas has been Sri Lankas bowling spearhead for as long as anyone can remember.He is easily the best fast bowler the country has produced, 320 test wickets at 29 and 387 ODI wickets at 26(wow) is a proof enough. Vaas joined the national team in 1994 and made an immediate impact, in only his 5th test match he got a return of 10-90 against NZ and was the chief architect in Sri Lankas first overseas test win.
Since then Vaas has stacked up some staggering records next to his name
- -In 2001-02 he took 26 wickets in a 3-0 rout of West Indies, becoming only the second fast bowler, after Imran Khan, to take 14 wickets in a match in the subcontinent.*-He went on to take the first-ever ODI eight-for, against Zimbabwe,which included a hat-trick.*
-He also claimed a hat-trick with the first three balls of the match against Bangladesh in the 2003 World Cup.*
But time as it seems time waits for no one, and it seems almost inevitable that the tight grip Vaas had in his bowling and his potency would slowly disintegrate.
Since 1st Aug 2005 he has not taken a 5fer. His best match figures have been 5/82. His average has shot up to 35 from his usual 28-29s. And the most telling figure is that his strike rate has taken a quantum leap to 71.6.
In 2006 he averaged a disappointing 45 with 12 wickets in 6 tests with an alarmingly high strike rate of 91.
Is Vass on his way out ?
Currently in 2007 he averages his normal 29 but as always the stats dont tell the whole story because 6 of the 7 wickets he has taken this year in the 3 matches he has played have been against Bangladesh,wickets may still be wickets but Bangladesh,with all due respect to them, are not the toughest opponents going around.
A Sri Lankan Selectors Hand book
With all the talk of the Muppets and jokers one wonders what kind of pressure a Sri Lankan selector is under when he signs up for the job. How do his interviews go? Is there a vigorous training these guys under go or is it just on the job training where mistakes are acceptable?
Basically how does a selector (or one who wants to be one-although we are not sure why you’d want to) go about their job.
So to help our budding selector wanna-be’s we have come up with the essential hand book for a Sri Lankan selector.
1.Before applying for the job, make sure you are someone with absolutely no cricket background. In the unfortunate event of you having some cricketing knowledge and know how-lie about it, or at the very worst make sure it’s at a very minimum.
If you are currently playing cricket-quit now if you want to pursue being a selector
2.It is essential that you know the political situation in Sri Lanka and especially important is knowledge on who is on whose payroll (Without this you are basically a batsmen with out a bat.).
3.Know your Player stats- No, not the runs or wickets he has taken- rather their family name i.e. who are their fathers (or mothers) and what sort of power do they have in Sri Lankan politics and how deep are their pockets.
Where was the player born- USA/UK take priority over anyone born in Sri Lanka.
4.Know your geography- Sri Lankan geography that is. Its well established fact that players from outside of Colombo are basically useless. So any players doing well in the outstations should not even get a look in until they move to Colombo and are capable of indulging in the much higher living expenses in the capital.
If you are not aware that clubs exist outside Colombo this will be seen favorably
5.Homesickness unwelcome- If you are the sort to get homesick do not consider applying. As a selector you will be required to travel extensively around the world. What you do once you reach the touring country is your business but the board will make sure you are given enough cash to go shopping and pick up that saree or two for the wife back home.
Sometimes you will be required to actually attend tour matches but these inconveniences are rare.
6.Know your enemy- Although as a cricket selector you might naturally expect to have a carefree life it’s not always rosy. There are many people who will question your every move and every player you drop. Usually these enemies or nemesis comes in 3 forms
- -The sports minister: He is the only one who has more power than a selector when picking a team. Don’t be surprised if the good minister goes behind your back to bring back a player you have dropped. But thankfully these occasions are few and far between.-Arjuna Ranatunga: Arjuna is a bit of a wild-card. There is absolutely no logic in the way this man behaves, which eventually means there is no knowing when he may or may not attack a selector using the media and his political influences. He will usually always doubt the system that you have set in place and will almost always doubt the player you pick. Be strong when this happens because Arjuna usually looses stamina due to his over grown belly
Disgruntled ex-Players: These guys are the real cry babies. When you drop them they will use the media to attack selectors and call them names. Disgruntled Ex-players and the sports ministers have a unique bond that can never be broken, so don’t be caught off guard if they tag team you from the blind side. E.g. include: Marvan Atappatu, Upul Chandana,Roshan Mahanama
7.Practice makes perfect: When you pick a certain player and he fails consistently over a period of time don’t be disheartened. Keep picking him till he gets those once in a blue moon 50s regardless of other more consistent players.
Tip: One 50 is more than enough to secure a place of said player(s) for the next tours.
8.Talent Spotting: You will be required to know how to spot talent from the youngsters coming through the system. Pls do keep in mind that Pts 2, 3, 4 are essential when even considering a young player for selection. Failure to meet any of the said 3 pts means an automatic disqualification of the player.