|
|
|
  |
| Sunday, 26 December 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Sports |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Wedding bells for Murali next March by Srian Obeyesekere In an year of both roses and thorns, 2004 above all marks Sri Lankan world Test record bowler, Muttiah Muralitharan's biggest 'catch' of all. The 32-year old Sri Lankan champion bowler, who joined an elite band when he went past West Indian Courtney Walsh's world record of 519 Test wickets, it is reliably understood has found his life's partner - an Indian bride from South India. The celebrity wedding is expected to take place in March 2005, it is understood. "It was an arranged match", a source said. Muralitharan, the controversial Lankan off-spinner, who broke into the big league just over a decade ago, is today regarded as the world's most illustrious wicket-taking bowler despite being dogged by a flawed bent elbow. An arm action which has however, being cleared by bio mechanic tests to be a deformity by birth and no way chucking related since he was reported by Australian umpires in 1995 for a suspect action. The year 2004, despite the high of the Lankan's record breaking feat, a rare mega occasion celebrated by millions of cricket crazy Sri Lankans, was marred by a shoulder injury which has put the champion bowler out of action for several months. An year further heightened by the Lankan's employment of the 'doosra' - a delivery going the other way particularly from left handers, which subsequently ran into controversy when the delivery was reported by match referee Chris Broad as suspect. With the 'doosra' under wraps, awaiting a final clearance by an ICC expert review committee on a bio-mechanic recommendation that arm flexing be permitted upto 15 degrees, Muralitharan is set to make a comeback in the upcomg two-Test matches against New Zealand. The Lankan is said to have flexed his wrist by 14 degrees, some 6 degrees more than the permitted ambit. Currently, the Lankan on 332 wickets is 23 wickets behind Australian leg spin wizard Shane Warne who went past Muralitharan during his injury lay-off. Interestingly poised for 2005 which should be an year when two of the world's greatest ever bowlers compete for supremacy. |
|
| News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
| Produced by Lake House |
