The Hindu : I feared for my career: Murali

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Aug 07, 2003

Sport

Sport - Cricket

I feared for my career: Murali

London Aug. 6. Sri Lanka spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan has revealed that he feared his career was over when he was called for throwing in 1995-1996.

The 31-year-old off-spinner, who has 459 Test wickets and 342 one-day victims, has always attracted criticism over his action which he claims is due to a birth deformity which prevents him from straightening his right elbow.

The controversy came to a head on the tour to Australia in 1995 when he was no-balled by Darrell Hair for throwing seven times in the Melbourne Test.

He was also called for throwing by umpires Ross Emerson and Tony McQuillan in a limited-overs match in Brisbane.

``I was shocked,'' Murali tells the August edition of the Wisden Asia Cricket magazine.

``I had never considered the possibility of my action being illegal. I first thought the Australians were scared of me, and that it was just one umpire. But when Emerson and the other guy called me again, I wondered if there might be a problem.

``Deep down I believed everything was all right because throwing and bowling are completely different - one requires the shoulder and the other the elbow. You can feel the difference. But there were times when I thought that it might be the end of my career. — AFP

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