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Yeah, but he’s no Warne
By Will 4 years ago, at the end of December Add your comment below
Muttiah Muralitharan recently claimed he’ll take 1000 Test wickets. A bold statement but if anyone can, it’s he. But why do I always hear myself muttering “yeah, but he’s no Warne”?
Is it because Warne has been around a little longer? Because he revolutionised (and revamped) the art of legspin? Is it because I always dreamed of being a leggie myself? Or is it because or Murali’s elastic arm and the cloud of suspicion which still hangs over his head?
Murali is no less a showman, no less hungry for wickets. His throaty, raucous appeal is a frightening ordeal for any batsman or umpire and he really can turn a ball on glass. He is a phenomena of control – bendy arm and wobbly wrist, or not – which even Warne must envy. But, still…he’s no Warne.
Perhaps this highlights Warne’s appeal more than Murali’s failings. Yesterday, before picking up his 700th Test wicket, Warne spoke to Mike Atherton about his career. One thing stuck out like one of his rare wrong’uns: “I always like to push the boundaries…the boundaries of dissent, or whatever. I’m an entertainer”. And so he is. Murali is no less appealing a bowler, but is too endearing a character. Warne is the genius with a darker, villainous, mischievous streak; the smoker; the drinker; the sledger; the divorcee; the sex-romper and tabloid-headline provider. When he steps out onto the field, perhaps we half expect all these traits to burden him; maybe we will him to fall down like the villain in a pantomime.
But he never did. Murali will probably take 1000 wickets. But he’s no Warne.
Tags: muttiah-muralitharan, shane-warne, spin-bowling |
23 Responses to “Yeah, but he’s no Warne”
December 27th, 2006 at 1.02 am
December 27th, 2006 at 8.58 am
By the way, if you are watching Murali on television, to pick his ‘doosra’, look for an extra ‘wobble’ in his wrist.
December 27th, 2006 at 9.33 am
How can I put this diplomatically?….ermm….Murali chucks it – end of comparison!
December 27th, 2006 at 11.03 am
And you should tell me why Sreesanth is reported by the umpires and not Andre Nel.
Murali is no Warne because he has brown skin.
December 27th, 2006 at 11.50 am
Say what you like, I’ll take Murali first any day. And I’ve got white skin.
December 27th, 2006 at 12.57 pm
Warne is no greater a bowler than Murali if all the showbiz and theatre is shorn off. Only the Aussie and English media carry too much of Warne. He is just another spin bowler to the sub-continent batsmen.
December 27th, 2006 at 2.57 pm
Why can’t we accept both of them for great bowlers and leave it at that? Why can’t we just be flipping happy that we as a generation witnessed two of the finest spinners at their peak, fighting for a record that no one will ever come close to?
Goddam I hate these silly comparisons.
December 27th, 2006 at 3.52 pm
It’s a bit like comparing two really good real ales (watch the Aussies switch off now as they won’t know what a really good real ale is) 
Let’s say Summer Lightning (Warne) and Old Peculier (Murali); they’ve both been around for years have complex tastes and require plenty of attention to appreciate properly. Most of all they are completely consistent in quality, a bad bottle is probably less frequent than a Warne fourball.
What I’m probably trying (very badly) to say is that they’re both completely unique but equally eminently watchable.
Maybe our Will sees a bit of himself in Warney and identifies more with him (Henceforth Will may be known as smoking, drinking, sex-romper).
The same theory also explains Coolval’s comments; if you asked any asian young spin bowler who they looked up to I’m sure more of them would say Murali, or Harbhajan or Danish or Kumble than Warne.
Actually I’d love to ask Adil Rashid that question. It would be most interesting to hear the answer. I’ll let Will tell you about England’s next spinning sensation.
December 27th, 2006 at 8.47 pm
Alex, it has nothing to do with skin colour. And if you think it does, that makes you the racist.
Sean is right. I am a smoking, drinking leviathan. Sadly the sex romping is a little sparse these days.
Anyway, read Sean’s comment again because it makes perfect sense…and this thread could very likely turn into a pathetic white v brown debate.
December 27th, 2006 at 8.26 pm
Murali is no Warne but Warne is no Murali either, so there
December 28th, 2006 at 10.43 am
Never mind, Will, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad. You have one more than me. I’m in the office, I’m jet-lagged from staying up to listen to the Melbourne disaster, and I’m bored, bored out of my skull. So let’s turn this thread into a discussion on beer. Comparing hugely talented cricketers has no sense. I just happen to be biased, I admit it. Vastly, unashamedly and naughtily biased. All things Oz are not on my hit list at the moment. Plus, some of my best friends are Sri Lankan and they let me play in their team. So there.
Funny you should mention Old Peculiar, Sean. You just can’t get it over here. I recall (dimly) that it was my fave drink back in the glory days of 1981, watching the Headingly Test in the Manchester University students’ bar. Time for some music, methinks, a bit of jethro Tull perhaps? Ah yes, Living in the Past … sigh, back to work.
December 28th, 2006 at 1.26 pm
Hmm 1981. I was in the 3rd year at school and watching Botham do amazing things. Being from Kent I must have been the only bloke who actually enjoyed watching Tavare bat.
The funny thing was that, if you watched him bat in the Sunday league at Canterbury you’d never have thought that he was capable of such long drawn out innings. I’d have to look it up but I think he really got stuck into one of the Aussies at the MCG in the 82/83 series, when he dropped the catch that Dusty Miller ran round and caught so England won by 3 runs.
But, back to beer. Wraye, as you mentioned Headingley I thought I should mention my visits there in the summer of 88 and 89. I never went to any test matches there and my claim to fame is taking exception to the Yorkie sitting next to me who insisted in calling Mark Ramprakash a “fookin paki” as he pasted the home side’s bowlers to all parts of the ground.
My favourite had to be Taylor’s Landlord with Sam Smiths a close second.
These days I’m a bit of a Badger lover (that sounds more kinky than it is supposed to) but have recently been introduced to local micro breweries by a mutual friend of mine and Will’s. If you can ever get your hands on it, try Hopdaemon’s Skrimshander, brewed near Sittingbourne, or Gadds No3 from the Ramsgate Brewery.
Of course in Germany it is all purity law but from a visit there in ‘87 I well remember Veltins, Krombacher and Eichener.
Well I have just been presented with a shopping list so I guess I must be on my way. 
December 28th, 2006 at 2.34 pm
I’ll be up front – I ‘love Warnie coz he’s Victorian’ as the MCG crowd has sung for 14 years.
I don’t love Murali (as a bowler – he seems a very nice man) coz he chucks it. Did any other ‘chuckers’ bend/straighten their arm 15 degrees? Who knows? Who cares? They were deemed to have straightened their arms even a miniscule when bowling and were called. And promptly retired or went and fixed it.
The farce of putting Murali under the scrutiny at some hi-tech nets is ridiculous. He knows when he chucks it, and so doesn’t when he’s under the microscope. Geez, I can spin an off-break on glass too if I’m allowed to chuck it. I can’t do it with a straight arm tho. I can even ‘bowl’ a doosra – if I’m allowed to chuck it. Straight arm … nope.
What we need is for someone of reputation (Warnie in his last test!?) to take the mick and come in and flat out chuck one. If he doesn’t get called for it, then forget the run-up and just wind up like a pitcher. It is a disgrace that Murali was able to take 100 wickets. It’s an abomination that he’s talking of going on to 1000 and set a target that will be very difficult to pass.
The ICC should’ve had some balls back in 1995 and backed up the sub-continent’s favourite umpire when he made a harsh but fair call.
It will really come home to roost when the next generation of sub-continental off-spinners come through the ranks with actions based on Murali.
December 28th, 2006 at 2.41 pm
Krombacher? Krombacher??? Oh Sean, go for the Bitburger for f***s sake! None of this Krombacher lark. Or go local, try Kölsch, a speciality of Cologne or Bönsch from Bonn. Tastes like water, served in tiddly little glasses and goes down a treat. Warning: it does not mix well with fresh air.
I’m still in the office and I am still bored, the boss has been in to check on me so now he’s gone I’m watching the highlights of the 3rd Test v WIndies 2004 on DVD. Oh happy days.
I used to enjoy a glass of Directors when I lived down south but went for Theakston up t’ north. Then I migrated to cider, then became a mum and developed a tea habit. Nowadays I train a lot with Muslims so we do loads of water & juice but at home a bit of Chardonnay goes down well.
Years ago I used to go to CAMRA festivals with my brother. I’m a Leicestershire gal and in those days we had Illingworth and Gower and a pint went down a treat at Grace Road.
For our Antipodean friends, CAMRA is the campaign for real ale. Imagine a hall, a big hall. Imagine barrels of beer, hundreds of them. Pay a deposit for a glass and go tasting. Ah, memories!
December 28th, 2006 at 2.46 pm
Hey Toos, you forgot to mention beer
By the way, why has Will not posted anything on Ramprakash yet?
December 28th, 2006 at 3.41 pm
Probably cos he’s slitting his wrists after last night’s performance, Wraye. Dare I say it but I think Mr Cooley’s making his mark with the Aussies.
In fact a new thread – Kevin Shine – He’s no Cooley.
I think the resident expert on Ramprakash is Jenny Thompson but remember – she does not coo.
I dunno if you get SCD in Deutschland but even I’ve been watching it over here; I think every woman of child bearing age in Britain now knows what lady cricket fans and even cricket widows such as mine have known for the last 15 years. The man just turns them to mush and they all just want to get their hands on those hips, right now.
December 28th, 2006 at 3.56 pm
Hello, drunkeds. I’m with Sean on the Krombacher – had that in 1999 on a trip over there. But my favourite was Isalohner – at least I think that’s the spelling (Wraye?). Cracking beer.
Anyone else *hate* Samuel Smith’s? You can get the bitter for £1.80 in London but it’s absolutely undrinkable. The lager is better – and this is coming from a man who detests all lager full stop.
Adnams is still a firm favourite, as is the Dog. It’s popping up more and more round London these days, too.
December 28th, 2006 at 4.49 pm
Well done, Will! Iserlohner is what you’re after, or would be if you were over here. Any takers for Ruddles? A great Rutland beer. Nice drop if I remember rightly, but prefer Dry Blackthorn these days when in the UK, used to be 60p a pint back then – eee by gum, rhubard and me mam’s pinny. I even remember beer being 36p a pint – no, don’t ask me about decimalisation, I wasn’t drinking seriously then. Am now at home enjoying a western Cape Golden Kaan Chardonnay from the gorgeous SA.
KS is no Cooley and it shows, doesn’t it? ECB should be ashamed of themselves. I’m working so hard to build up Women’s cricket on the continent, I know the value of a good coach. If only we could afford Cooley now …
Anyway, yes, got the highlights of SCD thanks to Aunty Beeb but no videos of the Test games, thank goodness in retrospect. Rampers looks good but Hussain and Vettori warm my coals more than Mark.
December 28th, 2006 at 8.06 pm
Toos, you seem to be suggesting that you could bowl as well Murali if you were allowed to “chuck” the ball. Suggest you take a look at this which has a slow motion of his action (near the begining). Doesn’t exactly look easy to me….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQEDI6INP4E
The whole chucking accusation is just a cheap attempt to descredit the fact that he has superior figures to Warne. Personally, I’m in the “can’t really compare” camp.
December 29th, 2006 at 12.19 am
Sorry about the lack of beer in my previous post – but being an Aussie I’m not needing to drown my sorrows, but for any of you venturing over in four years time, some more southern suggestions:
1. Crown Lager
2. Boag’s Premium
3. Coopers Pale Ale
4. San Miguel Pilsener (from Philippines) – quality beer to have in Singapore on your stopover.
DO NOT TOUCH:
1. Fosters – why do you think we export the cr@p?
2. Victoria Bitter (VB) – Green death that leaves me with a horrible hangover
3. Anything that is warm (above 4 deg C) or does not have a one inch head.
4. Tiger – don’t get lulled into thinking this is a good beer from all the advertising at Singapore Airport – this is a tasteless, dehydrating and utterly vile offering from Malaysia, yet remarkably popular in South East Asia.
jjamjj – I did not actually compare myself in ability to Murali, but merely that I can spin a ball if I throw it. I have not practised throwing a cricket ball 22 yards for 25+ years because I felt that there was no point, my understanding of the laws of cricket were that I needed to ‘bowl’ the ball, the word ‘bowl’ indicating a straight arm. I intend to sue my junior coaches and my dad for pain, suffering, indignity and loss of earnings (about $10 million should do it) because they corrected my action as a kid so that I did not have up to 15 degrees of straightening in my arm as I ‘bowled’.
Thanks for the YouTube link: actually, I think that this shows that right at the top of his action as he delivers his arm *is* straighter (but yes, still not absolutely straight, but pretty close) than when it is horizontal. Maybe that’s just my perception because that’s what I want to see. It’s interesting tho, that Murali doesn’t have the same body rotation around the front foot as any other spinner who can spin it – even Ashley Giles rotates more.
‘The whole chucking accusation’ started 10 or more years ago, before he had any figures at all, but the powers that be did little. Remember, Arjuna Ranatunga was SL captain at this stage, who made an art form of “pushing the envelope”, to then claim victimisation if anyone queried him. I well remember Ian Healy’s (cleaned up) comment that ‘You don’t get a runner just because you’re an unfit, fat (clown)’ when Arjuna called for a runner during a hot one-dayer.
Thanks everyone for the beer suggestions!
Cheers
January 2nd, 2007 at 7.19 am
Warne can stake his claim to greatness both as an entertainer and a cricketer, it would be downright and apparent foolishness to speak otherwise about someone who has claimed 700 wickets.
But if Warne has to be great should it be at the expense of Murali and he has to undergo ridicule over and over again. Why pick on Murali and put him through the chucker grind with plain malice? Why is he presumed guilty when proven innocent. In a world where OJ Simpson walks free, Murali is condemned. And to say that while testing he bowls straight and then back in the cricket field he chucks is downright offensive and questions his basic values and ethics.
Its not racism, a more appropriate term is whitecentric, the inability to see anything good beyond a colour.
And thank you for calling me a racist, for someone who grew up watching and enjoying the cricket from the elegance of David Gower to the sheer arrogance of Vivian Richards to the precision of a Richard Hadlee and the die hard Steven Waugh, cricket offers much more than statistics and entertainment. It teaches values. Rahul Dravid is all about putting a price on your wicket not about skill, technique or class.
Allow me to deviate here, just a little tale in the Mahabharata, Arjuna is supposedly the worlds greatest archer, acknowledged and proved and tested and all. Now there is this lil chap called Ekalavya who learns the skills of Archery in hiding from the same guru Drona, who taught Arjuna. One fine day he gathers courage and comes up in front of the guru to display his skills. The guru is shocked to find that Ekalavya is actually better than his favourite. So he asks for his “guru dakshina” or tuition fees and claims Ekalavyas thumb ensuring he will never use the bow and arrow again.
Amusing, isnt it.
January 5th, 2007 at 4.53 pm
This post is a load of bollocks.
Get over the chucking thing already. Or get a freaking life. We’ve been there many, many times, and he’s been cleared every time. That’s good enough for me.
Now for the entertainment value. Both are great entertainers on the field. You couldn’t really pick one over the other. Both give it their whole heart, and are extremely skilled. And there’s never a dull moment when they’re batting.
And, Will, don’t try to pass Warne’s off-field antics, including smoking, drinking, divorcing, taking drugs, sex life, etc. as entertainment. That has nothing to do with cricket. If anything, those things should count against Warne.
As for bowling performance, Murali edges Warne because, well, he’ll have many more wickets, and he’s done well against everybody all over the world, including the Indians. Also, his stats are much, much better than Warne’s.
October 26th, 2008 at 8.50 pm
MURALI IS A CHUCKER BECUASE I CAN IMMITATE MURALI’S ACTION BY USING THE WRIST FOR OFF-SPIN, AND EVEN IF I REALLY TRY TO KKEP MY ARM STRAIGHT IT STILL BENDS. BUT WHEN I BOWL LEG-SPIN OR NORMAL FINGERSPIN OFF-SPIN MY ARM STAYS STRAIGHT. BY THE WAY I HAVEN’T BEEN BORN WITH A BENT ARM LIKE MURALI, I HAVE JUST GOT A NORMAL STRAIGHT ARM. I’M NOT A RACIST.
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