Kent CCC Sign Muttiah Muralitharan

[Rich2001]

Kent have pulled off a major coup by signing Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for the rest of the season.
He will arrive at Canterbury on 23 July and make his debut four days later in a National League game against Yorkshire at Scarborough.

"We are thrilled to have Murali with us for the latter part of the season," said Ian Brayshaw, Kent's director of cricket.

"As we found with Steve Waugh last year, to have a player of such international standing has a huge impact throughout the club and it will be a particularly good opportunity for our younger players to learn from one of the world's greatest bowlers."

The 31-year-old will initially replace Andrew Symonds, who has been picked by Australia for a home one-day series against Bangladesh.

But he will stay with the club following Symonds' return because Pakistani pace bowler Mohammad Sami's short-term contract will have come to an end.

Muralitharan is one of the greatest spin bowlers to ever play the game, although the early part of his international career was overshadowed by doubts about the legality of his bowling action.

He has taken 459 wickets in 82 Tests at an average of 23.55 and 342 in one-day internationals.

Kent will be his second county, having previously played for Lancashire in 1999 and 2001.

 

[Kenny]

Muralitharan is a disgrace and should be banned immediately and have his test record wiped.

Never have I seen a more suspect bowling action - Darrell Hair and Ross Emerson were dead right.

In 5-10 years time we have hundreds of Sri Lankan spinners with 'diabolical' actions.

 

[Rich2001]

Muralitharan is a disgrace and should be banned immediately and have his test record wiped.

Never have I seen a more suspect bowling action - Darrell Hair and Ross Emerson were dead right.

Ok Muralitharan's action looks bad, but that's all it is LOOKS... The guy has been cleared on a number of occasions by a number of different people, who have alot of knowladge of the game and should know when something isn't right.

There is a series of photo's from a test he did at a Uni that clearly shows why from some angles it looks like a throw and at different ones it's a perfectly legal action ( I think Neil has the link ) - Yet people never accept the evidence and continue to complain, the guy can't change a medical defect, just like S Aktar can't yet he never gets repeated hassle people just accept it.

Found the link http://www-ieem.ust.hk/dfaculty/ravi/murali.html

Anyway this thread wasn't started to debate the guys action, again.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

There is a series of photo's from a test he did at a Uni that clearly shows why from some angles it looks like a throw and at different ones it's a perfectly legal action

Re: Suspect actions. Whether the pictures at a University screening show him throwing or not, it's what he does on field that counts. That's the footage that should be used as evidence.

 

[Kenny]

I have seen those photos of the tests conducted by Dr.Frank Pyke........they don't prove anything to me. From some angles it still looks like he's got an illegal action.........

What, it just LOOKS bad? It's an optical illusion?? I thought that was something magicians do.........

The only illusion is that the ICC has got the balls to tackle the problem, and obviously they haven't.

Anyhow Rich, I wasn't here last time his action was debated - can't we do it again? Pleeaasse?

BTW, a lot of people who know a lot about the game think he chucks it - Bishen bedi said if that action is legal, I don't know how to bowl.

 

[Langeveldt]

His action is really shocking, i can imagine him being a much inferior bowler without the obvious discrepancy... He should be bowling with an action similar to someone like Michael Vaughan..

yet the ICC insist on picking on guys like, was it Jermaine Lawson??

 

[marc71178]

Ignoring the controversy, will he do enough to rescue Kent's season?

 

[Legglancer]

There is no need to debate this all over again .... its been done too many times.

Murali has been cleared by numerous panal's of knowledgable and great cricketers and bowling experts. In addition the scientific data has come to the same conclusion. If one has any doubts, the study's are freely available.

 

[Rich2001]

Ignoring the controversy, will he do enough to rescue Kent's season?

Lancashire - Spell 1 - 55 wickets in 6 games

Lancashire - Spell 2 - 66 wickets in 7 games


If he gets anywhere close to those figures he wont do any harm

 

[age_master]

this is very good for all those Kent supporters out there, he will crush most of these pathetic county batting lineups

 

[Rich2001]

this is very good for all those Kent supporters out there, he will crush most of these pathetic county batting lineups

Inculding all those Aussie imports :P

 

[Tim]

Inculding all those Aussie imports

Yeah but most of them will be back in Australia for the Bangladesh series..

 

[Kenny]

There is no need to debate this all over again .... its been done too many times.

Murali has been cleared by numerous panal's of knowledgable and great cricketers and bowling experts. In addition the scientific data has come to the same conclusion. If one has any doubts, the study's are freely available.

And there are just as many former and current greats of the game, including spinners, who feel that he is doing something illegal.........it will not go away. The 'scientific data' was inconclusive IMO, and no 'study' has never been undertaken during a game.

No other off-spinner in history has turned the ball as much as this guy - that is because the whippy 'flick' action as the elbow and wrist straightens (in a millisecond) is something like what one does when throwing a yo-yo.......and we all know how much they spin.

if he becomes the greatest test wicket taker, then cricket will have become a farce.

Sorry if you long time BB'ers don't want to talk about it anymore - you are a lot like the ICC!!!

 

[age_master]

nah the aussie imports will be the ones down the otherend watching the carnage unfold

 

[James]

Muttiah Muralitharan has a better record than Shane Warne but I'll never remember Muralitharan in the way I remember Warne.

Muralitharan is and always will be a chucker and that's what he'll be remembered for in international cricket.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I agree fully.

 

[Rik]

Muralitharan is a disgrace and should be banned immediately and have his test record wiped.

Never have I seen a more suspect bowling action - Darrell Hair and Ross Emerson were dead right.

In 5-10 years time we have hundreds of Sri Lankan spinners with 'diabolical' actions.

I thought we had all grown up and had finished with the childish snipings, but no, it appears some people will never stop. His action is legal, it has been proven as such. So grow up and accept it.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I thought we had all grown up and had finished with the childish snipings, but no, it appears some people will never stop. His action is legal, it has been proven as such. So grow up and accept it.

His action is not legal. What has been proven is that he has a hyperextension of the arm. That's no right for him to be an exception to the rule.

 

[Rik]

His action is not legal. What has been proven is that he has a hyperextension of the arm. That's no right for him to be an exception to the rule.

Yes and a hyperextention is allowed under the rules, which is why his action is classed as legal. There is no exception to the rule here. I cannot see why so many people argue with something which is clearly stated in the rule book. Throwing is when the arm is bent, but if the arm naturally bends backwards or cannot be fully straightened then the action is passed as fair, ok Murali's elbow gives him an advantage, but it's not breaking any rules. This is the main problem I have with people slagging off Murali.

 

[Kenny]

I thought we had all grown up and had finished with the childish snipings, but no, it appears some people will never stop. His action is legal, it has been proven as such. So grow up and accept it.

First of all Rik me lad, I am 40 years old - do not tell me to 'grow up'.

Second, my opinion, shared by many in the cricket world and on this board, are not 'childish snipings'...........as the great former Indian spinner Bishen Bedi said, "If that action is legal, I don't know how to bowl".

All that has been proven is that the ICC does not, for some unknown reason, wish to tackle the Murali issue and his blatantly dubious action........my best guess is I have no idea why.

What concerns me the most is that his bowling is a blight on the game, and it's history, and we will soon see hundreds of young Sri Lankans attemting to bowl just like their hero, Murali.

He may well be, in fact he probably is, a lovely fellow, but he does not bowl within the rules - if some supposed 'deformity' of the elbow is the reason, then, I'm sorry, but he shouldn't be playing test cricket!