Warne and Murali - The race is on !!

[Donny]

While Shane Warne has been on his 12 month suspension, Muttiah Muralitharan has been busily taking wickets and is now only 6 behind the Aussie leg spinner.

With Warney is on 491 and Murali, 485, the race is on to see which one will pass Courtney Walsh's 519 first.

Intriguingly, their next Test assignment is scheduled to be against each other in Sri Lanka in March
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From a Cricinfo article:

On the issue of Muralitharan's bowling action, the Aussie spin king said: "What he does is a mystery to everybody. He confuses batsmen with his unusual action. I think he's been wonderful for Sri Lanka."

The Sri Lankans will also play two Tests in Darwin and Cairns in July, where the record could be settled.

If their current strike rates are maintained the duo would both pass Walsh in the Cairns Test.

But plenty of issues must be resolved including:

* Will Warne make an immediate return to the Test team when his drug ban ends on February 10?

* Will Muralitharan tour Australia after threatening never to play again in the country?

* Will Muralitharan's action stand up to rigorous examination of the fresh interrogation planned by the International Cricket Council?

Muralitharan is still not in the clear despite insisting cricket's leading bowling officials have cleared him of any chucking suspicions.

ICC general manager Dave Richardson has revealed new research could provide an exact definition of legal bowling.

"Muralitharan went before a bowling review group and they decided, on the evidence that was available at that stage, that they couldn't tell whether he was straightening his arm to any degree or not," Richardson told Sky Sports.

"So he was cleared for that purpose, but that's not to say that he's cleared forever and a day."

Muralitharan is talking up the wicket-race, although his form is so good that he could overtake Walsh on the Test tour of Zimbabwe in May.

"I need just 33 wickets and can get the record easily now but it all depends on how well Shane Warne bowls when he comes back," Muralitharan said this week.

Target 520 Test wickets to pass West Indies paceman Courtney Walsh

Player: Wickets Tests Average 10w/match 5w/inns
Warne: 491 107 25.71 6 23
Murali: 485 85 22.95 12 39

Career intervals (Number of Tests to reach milestones)

Wkts. Warne. Murali

50 __ 14 __ 13
100 __ 23 __ 27
150 __ 31 __ 36
200 __ 42 __ 42
250 __ 55 __ 51
300 __ 63 __ 58
350 __ 80 __ 66
400 __ 92 __ 72
450 _ 101 __ 80

Wickets per Test: Warne 4.59 Muralitharan 5.70

At those rates, Warne and Murali will each need seven Tests to overhaul Walsh

The 2004 schedule:

Australia
Three Tests in Sri Lanka, March
Two Tests in Zimbabwe, May-June
Two Tests vs Sri Lanka in Australia, July

Sri Lanka
Three Tests vs Australia in Sri Lanka, March
Two Tests in Zimbabwe, May
Two Tests in Australia, July

[commonwombat]

Both great bowlers, in many ways this "race" is media bullshit.

What is absolutely clear is the fact that the ICC has for many years been playing pass the parcel over the throwing problem. I personally have no axe to grind over Murali and accept that their may be a deformity. Whether that is a defence is open to question.

Essentially all parties need to get the definition and process clear and agreed. At the moment it is a minefield polluted by cowardly and/or self interested officialdom; trial by media campaigns and umpires/referess with their own agendas.

BTW, the David Richardson referred to in this article is the former Sth African wicketkeeper. He was a v fine keeper but if he can pull anything thru on this matter, it will be an achievement that would exceed any of his distinguished playing career.

It also raises the other important fact that more players of recent experience are needed in the high administration of the game. Inside the ICC and governing bodies around the world, officialdom is largely in the hands of lawyers, politicians and businessmen some of wholm are of questionable probity let alone tenuous cricketing links.

[London Dave]

One's a chucker, the other a drug cheat........hopefuly someone with integrity will overtake the both of them.

[Donny]

It doesn't matter how 'deformed' his arm might be, if his action contravenes the law he is bowling no-balls and should be banned.

Having said that, there are plenty of others who would disappear from the game if the law was enforced. Lee, Akhtar, Nel, Kirtley, Lawson .. just to name a few.

Wombat, please name a couple of the 'many ways' this race to Courtney's record is media bullshit.

It wasn't contrived by the media that Warne spend a year out of cricket. It wasn't contrived they are 6 wickets apart and will play an almost identical schedule over their next 7 Tests.

[JLC]

Lee only bowls one type of delivery that is illegal....thats his faster ball.

Every ball Murali bowls is questionable except when he bowls leg spin.

Murali had a questionable action when playing in his junior days along with Dharmasena. However for some stupid reason they were allowed to progress through the ranks and play test cricket. The chucker has a brother who also has the same deformity.

jlc

[commonwombat]

This article is not a worry but others and those that will follow in the tabloid media will build this up in a rather unsavoury manner. Is there any personal battle between the two men, I think not. The shit that will fly as Murali gets close to Walsh's record will do nothing for the game.

As a matter of interest, there WERE some courageous souls who questioned Courtney Walsh's action. No doubt some brave Australian would claim that his record is illegitimate.

JLC, yr point about Sri Lanka's actions is particularly apt. For matters of expediency and self-interest they did and have continued to do nothing about bowlers with suspicious actions. That is part of my point re overhauling the administration of the game around the world.

[Donny]

I haven't heard of anyone claiming Courtney Walsh's record to be illegitimate but I do remember him undergoing an I.C.C inquiry.

Will those (and it's not just JLC) who who say/write about Lee and Akhtar 'only chucking their faster balls' please read the law.
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3. Definition of fair delivery – the arm

A ball is fairly delivered in respect of the arm if, once the bowler's arm has reached the level of the shoulder in the delivery swing, the elbow joint is not straightened partially or completely from that point until the ball has left the hand.
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That wording - especially the 'partially' - is the problem.

More correctly, the problem is most bowlers (Merv Hughes reckons 80%) bowl illegally, according to that wording, but, even though the Muralis, Akhtars, Walshes and Lees go through token inquiries and examinations, they keep getting cleared.

[commonwombat]

Precisely Donny, it is a total minefield. Muddied by self interested opportunists/politicians (Dalmiya/Ranatunga); administrators at the ICC more interested in the corporate buck (Dalmiya/Speed); hamfisted white paternalists (Dennis Rogers/Malcolm Gray and most English) and loose cannon match officials with their own agendas.

The rule must be clearly re-wrote and procedures clearly established. Overall this must be the first step in the overhaul of the entire administration of the game. Basically those running the game at most national level and at the top of the ICC either couldn't run a bath or should not be trusted with the petty cash box.