Ordinary spinner can be a good bowler in T20s: Muttiah Muralitharan

Muttiah Muralitharan

Legendary Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan believes that it is easy to get wickets in Twenty20 games, as the batsmen need to attack and, in the process, will gift their wickets to bowlers who just have to maintain a tight line and length.

Muralitharan, who will be retiring from all forms of cricket at the end of the ongoing Indian Premier League, said: “Even an ordinary spinner can be a good bowler in T20 because it is the game where you don’t have to buy wickets. You will get wickets if you bowl tight.”

The 42-year-old doesn’t think that a bowler has to possess the X-factor to be successful in T20s. He said: “You don’t have to be a big spinner, you don’t have to have magic in T20s but you have to have magic in Test cricket to take wickets; to some extent even in one-day cricket.”

Speaking to Deccan Herald, the off-spinner, who retired from international cricket after the 2011 World Cup finals in which Sri Lanka lost to India, said: “Some days you win, some days you don’t. That’s the way it is. It’s all about not over-confusing yourself. Just go and play because in T20, you can’t plan a great deal.”

Muralitharan, who now represents the IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore, said: “Your mindset has to change. In Test cricket, you have to buy wickets. You can’t keep on bowling maiden overs and waiting because you won’t be successful. You have to have some tricks; you have to flight the ball, have variations. Test cricket teaches you so many things.”