Muralitharan - 1000 wickets?

[Briedis]

Reading in the paper today that Warnie reckons Murali might be the first to get to 1000 wickets.

A lot of people have been amazed at how fast he has got his wickets and put it down to the fact that he plays alot against slack opposition.

This is true to a degree, but his record is quite impressive:

Opp. M W Ave. 5 10
----------------------------
v AUS 7 22 41.90 1 0
v BNG 1 10 11.10 2 1
v ENG 5 35 23.25 2 1
v IND 12 51 32.94 3 1
v NZD 8 39 23.38 3 0
v PAK 11 60 24.91 4 1
v RSA 10 70 21.37 8 2
v WIN 6 44 18.86 5 2
v ZIM 12 73 17.09 5 2

Very impressive against South Africa and Pakistan. Good stats against Bangladesh, West Indies and Zimbabwe - but they are probably the bottom three sides in the world.

The one stat that is interesting is that out of his 72 test, he has played 54 on spin-friendly tracks in the sub-continent. I wonder how many Warne would have taken given this amount of time on spinning pitches....

 

[SeinDude]

I would be "chucking" the idea of 1000 test wickets aside for the time being.... although I have no doubt Mutiah will be the all-time leading wicket taker for a while if he stays fit.

Mutiah's certainly got the "drive" needed to get many wickets, and as long as he doesn't have a "flat patch" in his career, you just never know!!

SeinDude

 

[Dipper]

Apparently he bowls nearly 40% of his sides overs which is unheard of, so that gives him a chance.


It's intersting that his record against India is pretty average despite all those Tests having taken place in Asia.Warne's record against India is pretty poor in india as well-it seems like your best bet of beating India away might be with pace even if the pitches don't help you.

I still think he's a chucker though & it will be a sad day fro cricket if he ever become the all time leading wicket taker-personally I doubt he'll make 1000.

 

[clucas91]

Murali is pretty much ALL that Sri Lanka have, I believe that 40% statement because his workload is tremendous.

I believe that he is a chucker, I think that arm deformity stuff was just bullsh*t from the moaning Sri Lankans who would have no good bowlers if they lost him!

 

[Macca19]

Originally posted by Briedis
This is true to a degree, but his record is quite impressive:

Opp. M W Ave. 5 10
----------------------------
v AUS 7 22 41.90 1 0
v BNG 1 10 11.10 2 1
v ENG 5 35 23.25 2 1
v IND 12 51 32.94 3 1
v NZD 8 39 23.38 3 0
v PAK 11 60 24.91 4 1
v RSA 10 70 21.37 8 2
v WIN 6 44 18.86 5 2
v ZIM 12 73 17.09 5 2

Very impressive against South Africa and Pakistan. Good stats against Bangladesh, West Indies and Zimbabwe - but they are probably the bottom three sides in the world.

WIndies havent always been the second worst team in the world! Basically his stats against every team are fantastic...he might bea 'chucker' (i dont think he is) but he certainly knows how to take wickets!!

 

[joshhem]

Definately a chucker.

 

[Bomber Spirit]

Originally posted by clucas91
I believe that he is a chucker, I think that arm deformity stuff was just bullsh*t from the moaning Sri Lankans who would have no good bowlers if they lost him!

One sure way to test it - hold out a beer at arm's length

 

[clucas91]

Originally posted by Bomber Spirit

One sure way to test it - hold out a beer at arm's length

lol

 

[orion]

Originally posted by joshhem
Definately a chucker.

Guess he must have gone to the "Lee Academy of bowling !!
No I do not think he is a "chucker" as he has been under more scrutiny than any bowler and the verdict always comes back the same. Cricket needs more people like him who will keep the game alive to save it from becoming a bore.

 

[hourn]

1000 wickets is massive, and even if he is goin at about 7 a test for the last 2 years, i dont think he can get there.

700 to 800 probalby, and to think he chucks the ball

 

[GoEagles]

1000 is a very long way away. 750 might be a possible target for him to aim for. He won't be called next summer in Australia because no Australian umpires will officiate in the test matches (2 neutral test umpires)

 

[RogerC]

The amount of bowling Muralitharan does in an innings shouldn't be held against him - it's the average that matters most, and his is 23.53, which is quality for a spin bowler. And the idea that he is the only bowler they have is a bit of an overstatement - Vaas' average is 28.81, and Zoysa and Jayasuriya have averages in the low 30s. Fernando is coming through as well. Not top class, but hardly the figures of *******s.

And if you take out Murali's stats against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, his record is still impressive. I'm having trouble getting any info out of Cricinfo right now, but his average goes up by about 1, if I remember correctly.

I'm not going to buy into the chucking argument right now - my opinions are on this board somewhere. What I will say is that unless or until it is proven (and there has been a sh*tload of speculation here and elsewhere) he should remain not guilty. And it's not treason to appreciate the achievements of people from the subcontinent. (I'm pretty sure that if there was the slightest rumour that Tendulkar cheated in some way, half this country would be on him like a ton of bricks, and yet we'll forgive Warne, Mark Waugh, Ponting, Brett Lee anything).

 

[Dipper]

Originally posted by RogerC
(I'm pretty sure that if there was the slightest rumour that Tendulkar cheated in some way, half this country would be on him like a ton of bricks, and yet we'll forgive Warne, Mark Waugh, Ponting, Brett Lee anything).

Err he did cheat.In the 2nd from last Test v South Afirca recently he was caught tampering with the ball by TV & when the match referee disciplined him along with Sehwag the Indians cracked the sh*ts & they ended up having that 'unofficial' last Test.

I saw the footage & although we've all seen the same thing hundreds of times before he definitely digs his thumb nail into the ball-which i believe contravenes ball tampering laws & is in effect cheating.

 

[RogerC]

Actually, Dipper did in a way disprove my point, whether Tendulkar cheated or not. It's the perception I was thinking of, not he reality. And we don't think the worse of Tendulkar for what he did, do we Dipper?

 

[cornuto]

CHARLES

I think it is a disgrace that Charles even has the chance to play cricket at all. He clearly has a questionable action and even with coaching this has not been resolved. In 20 years when you sit there and look at the stats, you will see his name up there with the Walsh's and Warnes and that is a sha,me

 

[Darky]

Originally posted by chicken minute
I'd reckon he'd finish well short of 1000. If he stays fit, maybe 800. I don't think it matters that the opposition are crud. After all their are still 20 wickets to be claimed between 4 or 5 bowlers each match.

True, when considering wickets per test, but it does improve his average if garbage sides often get bowled out for say 200, as opposed to playing against Australia who'd make 500.

Muralitharan never looked threatening at all when bowling in Australia. One commentator said (when the throwing controversy first came up), that the Aussies wouldn't care if he was bowling, or throwing, because he could be bowling from both ends and he wouldn't take a wicket.

 

[Dipper]

Originally posted by RogerC
Actually, Dipper did in a way disprove my point, whether Tendulkar cheated or not. It's the perception I was thinking of, not he reality. And we don't think the worse of Tendulkar for what he did, do we Dipper?

Nah of course we don't RogerC we all knew that Indian cricketers were a bunch of cheats before that incident.


chicken minute,
I am indebted to you for pointing out the correct reason for Tendulkar's admonishment by the referee although it doesn't actually prove whether he was or wasn't 'trying to gain an unfair advantage'.
It's all very ambiguous as to whether he is merely cleaning the seam or trying to make it more 'proud'.Personally I'm in favour of either coming down very hard on people who do anything to the ball to discourage those that would cheat(as the ref tried to do to some degree over this incident) or go totally the other way & say you can do what you want to the ball as long as you only use your hands & no implements.

 

[Briedis]

Re: Re: Muralitharan - 1000 wickets?

Originally posted by Macca19


WIndies havent always been the second worst team in the world! Basically his stats against every team are fantastic...he might bea 'chucker' (i dont think he is) but he certainly knows how to take wickets!!

The West Indies have been pretty poor side in the two series he has played them.

Also, his stats against the Aussies are pretty bad, but other than that his stats are tremendous.

 

[Briedis]

Originally posted by chicken minute


That's an interesting twist on the truth. It wasn't that he dug his fingernails into the seam that was his breach, which he did do, but it was that he did it out of the gaze of the umpire. If he cleaned the seam in front of the umpire it would have been alright. And this is what the official report of the incident stated.

It's only cheating if you try to gain an unfair advantage, not merely that your guilty of a technicality.

100% correct CM. Labelling him a cheat is a bit harsh, he did break the rules, but I think there is a good chance it was an innocent mistake.

 

[Slax]

I think 1000 is out of the equation. Most finger spinners start to develop problems zith their fingers once they get into their 30s.
700 - 750 tops.

To al those who say he's a chucker then you've got to call LEE, just have a look at his action in slow motion and you'll see the truth.

 

[Dissident]

There's a big difference between cleaning the seam and raising the seam...

 

[Dave]

Originally posted by RogerC
I'm not going to buy into the chucking argument right now - my opinions are on this board somewhere. What I will say is that unless or until it is proven (and there has been a sh*tload of speculation here and elsewhere) he should remain not guilty.

So we just chuck (no pun intended!) the rule book out then eh?

 

[RogerC]

No Dave, but we have a look at whether that particular rule is a good one. There just doesn't seem to be widespread consensus on whether he throws or not.

None of the rules of cricket (or any laws for that matter) are set in stone for all time. A circumstance has arisen where this one is in dispute, at least inasmuch as Muralitharan is concerned.

We can argue our opinions - in fact we have - but I dont think either of us is going to change the other's mind. That's why I don't see any reason to buy back into the argument.

 

[NICK THE PIE MAN]

The Aussies do have a tough time with him.

Well, from what I have read.

In one of Steve Waugh's tour diaries from a few years ago that covered the Sri Lankan tour that we lost 1-0, (The last two tests were completely washed out ) Steve said that he was the best spin bowler he has ever faced and he is very hard to read.