Muttiah Muralitharan believes his Test wickets record will remain unbroken
What's the story
Muttiah Muralitharan, the legendary Sri Lankan off-spinner, has expressed doubt that any bowler will surpass his record of 800 Test wickets in the near future. He attributes this to a shift in focus toward shorter formats of cricket and a lack of consistency among modern players. The record holder also voiced concerns about declining interest and viewership for Test cricket in several countries.
Format change
Muralitharan highlights shift in cricket focus
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Muralitharan stated, "It's very hard (for someone to surpass 800 Test wickets), because emphasis has shifted to short-form cricket." He further noted that careers are shorter now compared to his playing days. The closest contenders to his record are Australian spinner Nathan Lyon with 530 wickets and Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin with 516. However, both players are in their late thirties and unlikely to reach Muralitharan's total before retirement.
Talent vs experience
Muralitharan points out inconsistency among young players
Muralitharan also highlighted the issue of inconsistency among young players. He stated, "Consistency is the problem. It's not about how good they are, because they all are talented." He further added that gaining experience is challenging in today's cricket landscape due to numerous tournaments and distractions. Among bowlers under 30, South Africa's Kagiso Rabada leads with 299 Test wickets.
Stats
Here are his Test numbers
Murali claimed a record 800 scalps in 133 Tests at an average of 22.72. Murali holds the record for most five-wicket hauls in the longest format (67). He also claimed 10 wickets in a Test match across innings on 22 occasions. The legendary off-spinner also claimed 534 wickets in 350 ODI matches at 23.08, the most for any bowler to date.