Legendary Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has aired his concern about the future of Test cricket. With 800 scalps-record for most Test wickets-Muralitharan feels that no one will ever break his record, at least not in the near future. He blames the short formats of the game now on view, which, according to him, dissipates players’ consistency and commitment towards Test cricket. Further, he showed concern about the declining viewership of Test matches in different countries.
Muralitharan Opines About Decline In Test Viewership
“I am definitely worried about Test cricket,” said Muralitharan, speaking to English newspaper Daily Mail.
“Every country will play maybe only six or seven Test matches. England and Australia might play the Ashes. But, in some other countries, not many people are watching. There will be very little Test cricket,” he added.
Muralitharan mentioned why his record couldn’t be broken,
“It’s very hard (for someone to surpass 800 Test wickets), because emphasis has shifted to short-form cricket. Also, we played for 20 years. Careers are shorter now,” he said.
Muttiah Muralitharan’s Unbreakable Test Record Stands Tall
The bowler who is the nearest to Muralitharan’s record is Australia’s Nathan Lyon, who has 530 wickets, and Indian Ravichandran Ashwin, who has 516. With Lyon at age 36 and Ashwin at age 37, neither is likely to top Muralitharan prior to retirement. The third highest total of all time is now English fast bowler James Anderson, who recently retired with 704 wickets.
Of active bowlers under age 30, the leader in Tests is South African Kagiso Rabada with 299 Test wickets.
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“Consistency is the problem. It’s not about how good they are, because they all are talented. The only thing is how can they become experienced? Nowadays, it’s difficult. There are too many tournaments and things in their heads,” Muralitharan added.
Muralitharan is the fastest bowler to bag 400, 500, 600 and 700 wickets in Test cricket.
