Muralitharan

Muttiah Muralitharan is a Sri Lankan former cricketer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. He was a right-arm off-break bowler who played for Sri Lanka in international cricket from 1992 to 2011. Muralitharan holds the record for the most wickets taken in both Test and One Day International (ODI) cricket.

Born on April 17, 1972, in Kandy, Sri Lanka, Muralitharan began his career with a distinctive bowling action that often perplexed batsmen. His ability to spin the ball prodigiously, coupled with variations like the doosra, made him a formidable opponent. He made his Test debut against Australia in 1992 and his ODI debut in the same year.

Throughout his career, Muralitharan achieved numerous milestones. He became the leading Test wicket-taker in 2007, surpassing Shane Warne. His tally of 800 Test wickets is a record that stands unmatched. In ODIs, he took 534 wickets, also a world record at the time of his retirement. He was a key member of the Sri Lankan team that won the 1996 Cricket World Cup and reached the final in 2011.

Muralitharan's career was not without controversy, particularly concerning the legality of his bowling action. However, he was cleared by the International Cricket Council on multiple occasions after biomechanical testing. He retired from Test cricket in 2010 and from ODIs and T20Is in 2011. Post-retirement, he has been involved in coaching and commentary.