Muttiah Muralitharan Reveals Why He Made Such Intimidating Faces While Bowling

Published - 27 Jan 2022, 05:38 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 09:43 PM

Sri Lanka national team
Muttiah Muralidharan[photo: Twitter]

Sri Lankan bowling legend Muttiah Muralitharan is the leading wicket-taker in international cricket with 800 scalps in Test cricket and 534 wickets in ODIs, both world records. Since retiring from cricket in 2011, Muralitharan has continued to roll his arm over in legends cricket leagues.

Currently, he is part of the Asia Lions team in the ongoing Legends League T20 Cricket tournament being played in Oman. On the sidelines of the competition, which is played by retired international cricketers, Muralitharan revealed why he pulls an intimidating expression while bowling.

Muttiah Muralitharan, Sri Lanka, Test Cricket
Muttiah Muralitharan (Image Credit: Twitter)

In a video shared by the organizers, the 49-year-old cricketer said: “The concentration, the effort and making sure that I am coming at you. It is a reaction that comes naturally.”

When asked to pick one batsman who is easier to bowl between Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, Muralitharan without hesitation chose the latter. He then named India’s Ravichandran Ashwin as his favorite spinner of the current crop. Ashwin has 430 wickets under his belt in 84 Tests at an average of 24.38.

“Andrew Flintoff Once Picked Me Up And Wanted To Flush Me” – Muttiah Muralitharan

Noto only did Muttiah Muralitharan rule international cricket, but he also spend some time in English country cricket where he spent two years playing for the Lancashire county cricket club. He developed a close relationship with Lancashire star and former England captain Andrew Flintoff.

Muttiah Muralitharan revealed a funny insider story when Flintoff almost flushed him in the toilet.

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - APRIL 16: Andrew Flintoff and Muttiah Muralitharan of Chennai Super Kings have a chat during the Chennai Super Kings training session at the Vineyard Cricket Ground on April 16, 2009 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)
Muttiah Muralitharan, Andrew Flintoff. (Photo: Getty Images)

“I had a lot of conversations with Freddie Flintoff when I played for Lancashire. With him, we had a lot of fun and I talked so much. Sometimes they got irritated. He was so big and I was so small in front of him. One day he jokingly picked me up and said “I will flush you” and took me to the toilet and almost put me down but obviously it was meant for fun,” he said.

Both of them went on to play for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League. Muralitharan, who has played four games in the ongoing Legends League Cricket, has scalped three wickets. His Asia Lions team is currently placed second in the points table.

Also Read: If Not Rohit Sharma, Then Jasprit Bumrah Should Be The Test Captain – Harbhajan Singh

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