What's happening to Murali?

[Burgey]

Not convinced by this age thing - the bulk of Clarrie Grimmett's career came after he was 37 and if he's injury free I can't see Murali being finished - I wonder if he just needs a few months off ..................... followed by another summer at Old Trafford

True, though Grimmett would have two months on a boat to rest between seasons.

These days it's back to back tests then ODIs etc. Probably more wear and tear than age per se.

 

[Richard]

Not convinced by this age thing - the bulk of Clarrie Grimmett's career came after he was 37 and if he's injury free I can't see Murali being finished - I wonder if he just needs a few months off ..................... followed by another summer at Old Trafford

Clarrie Grimmett was a remarkable physical specimen. Murali's body has been through the sort of stresses that no bowler has ever compared to (seeing as Murali's body is so different to that of any other bowler who has ever bowled, in several respects, most notably that wrist of his). I don't think there can really be any precedent which can be used to predict in Murali's case.

 

[Richard]

Dont agree, when ENG toured SRI in 07/08 Murali was spinning it big, plus up to last year when IND toured SRI he was spinning it big. As i mentioned before i just think these surfaces have been absoulte roads, its the second time in Murali's career he has toured IND (see 97) & played on such lifeless wickets.

Overall i dont think he has lost his ability, reckon he would spin out ENG if played us 2moro. But given the amount of overs he has bowled for SRI. His body & fingers are probably wearing out.

Nah, he's played on roads plenty of times during his heyday and he was still generally a huge handful. The precise point is that I noted during the 2007/08 series against England that he was clearly not the bowler he had once been - by-and-large England coped with him without tremendous difficulty, which for a relatively average batting unit said quite a bit. I had initially been very surprised he had done so badly in Australia just previously but I wasn't once I saw that series.

I'm not entirely sure how anyone in this country can comment on how much he was spinning it in the 2008 series in Sri Lanka since Sri Lankan home Tests aren't screened on any service here.

 

[Richard]

Does it even matter? As long as he is enjoying his cricket and good enough to play for Sri Lanka he should play.

Returning figures like this, the question of whether he's still good enough to play for Sri Lanka, and is benefiting anyone by doing so, has to be asked. The answer may be yes, but to ask it is fair enough.

 

[bagapath]

grimmett started late; very late. for someone who made his debut at 32 clarrie achieved a lot in the game. murali on the other hand has been on road for 17 years. am sure he wakes up everyday with some part of his body aching from cricket

 

[aussie]

Nah, he's played on roads plenty of times during his heyday and he was still generally a huge handful.

Like where. In discussions in Murali vs Warne thread in the past, the wickets he played vs IND in 97 (home & away) was unanimously accepted to be extremely flat. This current series definately seems to be the same thing again.

The precise point is that I noted during the 2007/08 series against England that he was clearly not the bowler he had once been - by-and-large England coped with him without tremendous difficulty, which for a relatively average batting unit said quite a bit. I had initially been very surprised he had done so badly in Australia just previously but I wasn't once I saw that series.

Have to refresh by memory on that ENG series since i dont remember it like this tbf. But him looking average in AUS in 2007/08 wasn't down to bad form to me, AUS is the one place in his career where he has always looked ineffective.

I'm not entirely sure how anyone in this country can comment on how much he was spinning it in the 2008 series in Sri Lanka since Sri Lankan home Tests aren't screened on any service here.

I presume you mean SRI home series when ENG aren't touring there?. So in that case yes it does on one the 700 channels on sky (i think 704) which is Zee tv India - which shows Ten Sports but you have to pay for it. I saw AUS tours to IND 2001, SRI 99, PAK 98 on that.

AUS tours to SRI 2004 was on skysports extra though. The only series we dont see here as you likely know is NZ home series, since the only AUS series in the last decade i have missed where the two tours to NZ 2000 & 2005.

 

[aussie]

In 2008 series against India, Murali was not spinning great as he used to. He benefited from some lower order wickets as well thanks to Mendis.

Hmm my memory of that series is a bit cobwebby, since the games used to start early morning here & i would usually catch an hour or so before i went off to school or whatever. But i'm sorta sure i remember seeing him get big turn though...

 

[Ikki]

Cricinfo:

 

[Richard]

Like where. In discussions in Murali vs Warne thread in the past, the wickets he played vs IND in 97 (home & away) was unanimously accepted to be extremely flat. This current series definately seems to be the same thing again.

I'm not saying either of them weren't utterly lifeless decks, I'm merely saying that he's played on lifeless decks and done well before. The best example would be The Oval 1998, his greatest-ever performance, all the greater for being on a deck which no other bowler got so much as a thing out of.

Have to refresh by memory on that ENG series since i dont remember it like this tbf. But him looking average in AUS in 2007/08 wasn't down to bad form to me, AUS is the one place in his career where he has always looked ineffective.

He's always looked ineffective there because he's never bowled there in the manner he's bowled when he's destroyed everyone else everywhere else, same as Warne against India. His only tours there were in 1995/96 (when he was good but not yet the superstar he'd later become, and when he was in any case distracted by the Hair-Emerson nonsense) and 2007/08 when as I say he was no longer the force he had been.

I presume you mean SRI home series when ENG aren't touring there?. So in that case yes it does on one the 700 channels on sky (i think 704) which is Zee tv India - which shows Ten Sports but you have to pay for it. I saw AUS tours to IND 2001, SRI 99, PAK 98 on that.

AUS tours to SRI 2004 was on skysports extra though. The only series we dont see here as you likely know is NZ home series, since the only AUS series in the last decade i have missed where the two tours to NZ 2000 & 2005.

Well they have shown some NZ home series' of late - not sure if they are this season. Only stuff I've never seen are those from Pakistan (not involving India or England) and Sri Lanka (not involving England).