Cop it sweet, Murali - McGrath

[Donny]

Just cop it sweet, Murali

By Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath


MUTTIAH Muralitharan's threat to never tour Australia again is ridiculous and I hope he isn't serious about following it through.

There is no doubt he cops a bit from the crowds in Australia when he tours, but it's no different to the abuse the Australian players cop when we tour England, South Africa, New Zealand and the subcontinent.

Being sledged by crowds is something you come to expect as an international cricketer, whether you like it or not.

I'm not sure Australian crowds are worse than anywhere else in the world.

I've spoken to Murali a few times and he is a genuinely friendly guy who is always happy. Whenever you see him he has a big smile on his face.

That is why the comments he made about touring Australia are surprising.

Whether he is saying it more for effect than anything, I'm not sure.

All I know is that no touring team has visited these shores without one of its star players copping it from our crowds in one form or another.

Murali is genuinely a star for the Sri Lankans and the wickets he has can't be taken away from him.

He shouldn't shoulder the blame for anything that has happened to him in his career. He is bowling the way the authorities allow him to bowl.

That being the case, he shouldn't be treated differently to any other bowler.

He is still young and takes a lot of wickets at home in Sri Lanka. He will probably finish his career as the greatest wicket-taker in cricket history.

Which brings us to Australia's tour of Sri Lanka.

It can be a really tough place to tour, especially if you let things get to you.

The people aren't as fanatical about cricket as they are in India but that doesn't mean they don't love it.

I remember walking along the waterfront in Sri Lanka a few years ago and seeing cricket game after cricket game being played.

Conditions in the country can be harsh but it's an island, so you tend to get a bit of a sea breeze.

The most unsettling thing about previous tours has been the security, given the unrest that existed in the country.

I remember a couple of times we needed two buses. One was used as a decoy with the curtains drawn, the other ferried the team around.

We made our way to the game via the backblocks. At the time, you thought "this is a bit worrying".

The hotels you stay at are good and there are plenty of good restaurants now too, from Italian to Japanese to Chinese.

I've heard horror stories about touring 10 or 15 years ago but I've never really had a problem.

Whenever we tour Sri Lanka, we are allowed a few days off to head to the nice resorts along the coast. They are always good, relaxing days away from the game.

The first Test is at Galle and we always stay at a hotel by the water's edge. It is a really nice place.

The boys also get around on the little three-wheeler Took Tooks – probably not one of the safest transport options but definitely an experience.

Our other mode of transport is the coach and I always get a bit of a laugh when they call it a luxury coach.

To me, it's an old bus with vinyl seats that get hot and appear to be placed right on top of a bar that is uncomfortable.

It's one of those things you can let get to you, but you just have to accept it's the way it is.

We have found it tough in Sri Lanka because the wickets are so conducive to spin, which allows a class player like Murali to bowl from one end all day.

On our last tour there, we could have won the first Test but lost Stephen (Waugh) and Dizzy (Gillespie) to that sickening collision before rain ruined the final two Tests.

The boys will be toughened up by the Indian Test series and the one-day series will enable them to adapt to the conditions.

I'm expecting something pretty special from the boys.

[commonwombat]

Just go back home and play with yr guns, Glenn. Good bowler you may be, but the offerings inflicted under yr name in the Sunday papers more closely resemble the aftereffects of a substandard curry than intelligent comment.

Stands to reason I suppose that they are published by a media outlet hosting the likes of Akerman, Bolt and the like. McGrath's puny and puerile intellect is in good company.