Career

Since his debut in 1992, Muralitharan has taken over 700 Test wickets and over 400 One-Day International wickets, becoming the first player to take 1,000 wickets combined in the two main forms of international cricket. Currently his Test average is 21.33, which compares well to any modern era spinner.

Muralitharan's unique bowling action begins with a short run-up, and culminates with an extremely wristy release which had him mistaken for a leg-spinner early in his career by Allan Border. Aside from his off break, he also bowls a fast topspinner which goes straight on. He is also a master of the doosra, the surprise delivery which turns from leg to off (the opposite direction of his stock delivery) with no discernible change of action.

In May 2004, he overtook West Indian Courtney Walsh's record of 519 Test match wickets to become the highest wicket-taker, a record he kept until Shane Warne claimed it in late 2004 after an injury forced Muralitharan to miss a considerable number of matches. However, Warne believes that the younger Muralitharan will eventually be the one to finish with the record, saying he believes that Muralitharan will take "1,000 wickets" before he retires. Former record holder Courtney Walsh has also opined that this is possible if Muralitharan retains his hunger for wickets. Muralitharan himself believes there is a possibility that he will reach this milestone. He is the only bowler to have taken five wicket hauls against every other test playing nation. Former Australian captain Steve Waugh called him "the Don Bradman of bowling".

In 2002, Wisden carried out a statistical analysis of all Test matches in an effort to rate the greatest cricketers in history, and Muralitharan was ranked as the best bowler of all time. However, two years earlier, Muralitharan was not named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century. Recently, Wisden named him the "Leading Cricketer in the World in 2006".