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The last international cricket match Muttiah Muralidaran probably plays at the MCG should be a lot less eventful than his first. The off-spinning great will be in the Sri Lankan side on Wednesday afternoon for the first of three one-dayers against Australia.
It will also be his first one-day international since June.
Muralidaran, who has taken the most wickets in Test and one-day international cricket, has already retired from the longest form of the game and is also likely to quit one dayers after next year’s World Cup.
Controversy has dogged his amazing career since he was no-balled for throwing during his first MCG match, the 1995 Boxing Day Test.
But as Muralidaran nears cricket retirement, Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara said the 38-year-old spinner was relishing his role in the team.
“It’s a great luxury to have a spinner like that in our side and it’s nice he’s agreed to come back and play in the World Cup,” Sangakkara said.
“He’s enjoying his cricket – the rest always seems to do him good, now he doesn’t have to concentrate on bowling 30 overs in a Test, I think he’s a lot happier and a lot more relaxed.
“We’ll see how he goes, as long as he’s enjoying it, we’re happy to have him with us.”
Sri Lanka received a significant boost ahead of the MCG match when Australian captain Ricky Ponting withdrew to attend his grandmother’s funeral.
The tourists also belted Australia by seven wickets on Sunday in a Twenty20 match.
But Sangakkara warned that his team must keep applying the pressure to the world’s No.1-ranked one-day team.
“A player of Ricky’s calibre not being in the side, he’s a huge blow to anyone,” Sangakkara said.
“He’s one of the best batsmen probably in the last two decades or so.
“I’m not sure how it will affect the Australians, but for us again it’s a case of thinking more about us and trying to keep a focus on the processes that we try and do – setting the tone for the innings and getting our combinations right for the game.”
While Australia will have one eye on the World Cup through this three-game series, Sangakkara said the Sri Lankan’s sole focus would be on trying to beat the home side.
“The World Cup is there, everyone knows when it is and this is a build-up for it,” he said.
“But for us, this tour is very important, so we take this series in that context, as a series on its own.
“Of course, the combinations we play will probably allow us to make some decisions about certain players, it will also give players opportunities to grab those elusive places in a final World Cup squad.
“But we have to play this, we have to play the West Indies and then think about the World Cup.”
Like Australia, Sri Lanka are yet to decide their line-up for Wednesday’s game, but Sangakkara confirmed Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan would open the batting.
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