Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan claimed the world record for Test wickets today when he claimed his 520th scalp against Zimbabwe in the first Test at Harare.
Muralitharan eclipsed the previous record of West Indies pace legend Courtney Walsh, who had 519. The landmark came when he took the sixth Zimbabwe wicket with the score on 64. Mluleki Nkala was the victim, caught by Mahela Jayawardene.
That Muttiah Muralitharan would eventually claim the world record for Test wickets has been inevitable for some time now - but not everyone planned to join him in celebrating.
Murali went into the series under a cloud himself after the legitimacy of his action was once again brought into question. Murali has been dogged by accusations that he is a 'chucker' for years because of a genetic defect which prevents him fully straightening his arm. These claims have undermined what has been a great career.
The latest bout of bad publicity came after his action was reported by match referee Chris Broad after Sri Lanka's recent Test series against Australia. The International Cricket Council had studied Murali's action on two previous occasions and ruled it legal but his new `doosra' delivery - the off-spinner's equivalent of the googly - had raised fresh concerns.
This time a detailed investigation revealed that his doosra was technically illegal as his arm straightened by around 14 degrees during delivery. This means that under the International Cricket Council's current regulations, Murali could face a ban if reported again at any time over the next year.
Yet the scientists at the University of Western Australia, who conducted the analysis of Murali's action, have recommended a change to the laws. Given that tests have proved that all bowlers straighten the arm to some degree, they query why a spinner should only be allowed a tolerance threshold of five degrees whilst a fast bowler is given 10. They suggest that in Murali's case the straightening of the arm offers him no discernible advantage and that the whole issue of tolerance thresholds needs to be addressed.
They argue that Murali should at least be allowed to continue bowling his doosra until a database allowing his action to be compared to some of his contemporary off-spinners is compiled.
The doosra - meaning 'the other one' in Hindi - is by no means a new delivery, it being invented and named by Saqlain Mushtaq some years ago. The likes of Harbhajan Singh and Shoaib Malik have their own variations but it was when Murali demonstrated his mastery of it against England last year that it earned
notoriety.
Yet all this controversy over Murali's bent-arm action rather overlooks the fact that it is not the reason for his genius. Murali is the bowler he is because of a highly flexible right wrist which allows him to impart outrageous spin on any surface. He is probably the game's first wrist-spinning off-spinner.
This, when allied to his talent and discipline, makes him unique and has allowed him to torment batsmen the world over throughout his career. He has never shied away from work, often bowling long spells, and has clocked up his wickets at almost six per Test. At this rate he could top 750 wickets.
Murali is a national hero in Sri Lanka and he is now guaranteed another hero's welcome on his return home. As one of the greatest players the game has ever seen he deserves it. But many other quarters still only offer begrudging acceptance and his career is likely to be controversial to the last.
Filed by Barry J Whyte
