Adios, Murali!

One of the stories of this generation might just be coming to an epic end. It’s a story not just of a sportsman’s abilities or the undisputed talent that the man still possesses, but one which epitomised a triumph of strong human character – giving adversity the familiar facial stare you’d associate with him, and even that smile he always sported – irrespective of the situation. It is also a story of a man who knew that he was past his peak, the body – going through 18 years of wear and tear and a man who was honest enough to decide to walk away from the game, rather than being pushed or even nudged to do so. Muttiah Muralitharan’s illustrious career of undisputed talent, unconventional genius, and some wickets to boot only deserves to be celebrated and cherished.

On the very day speculations over his Test future were rife, I telephoned Murali, a routine journalistic call to confirm if these rumours were indeed true. The honest man as he came across, he stated categorically, in true Murali fashion, “After this India test, I am not playing Test cricket anymore,” before going on to also emphatically suggest that we may not have seen the last of him either. “If selected, I will definitely continue playing the IPL.”