Sri Lankan spin great Muttiah Muralitharan lashed out at his long-time detractor Bishen Singh Bedi, calling the former Indian captain a controversy monger and ordinary bowler.
Bedi has been an untiring critic of Muralitharan by repeatedly calling the Sri Lankan a “chucker” and asking the ICC to ban the Sri Lankan’s “doosra” as it was illegal.
Muralitharan, who retired last week after completing 800 Test wickets at Galle against India, made an uncharacteristic attack on Bedi, saying that he was just an ordinary bowler, according to a report in Times of India.
Asked about the lack of world-class spinners in India, except for Harbhajan Singh, Muralitharan said Bedi was not in the same league as BS Chandrasekhar, Srinivas Venkataraghavan and Erapalli Prasanna who formed part of India’s famed spin quartet in the 70s.
“Bedi, I don’t think he does not even come to a contest on that. I saw some (of his) bowling of his playing days. In modern era, if he plays he will get hammered every ball, that is what will happen. So no comparison,” the world’s highest wicket taker said.
“Prasanna is a good bowler. I have seen his bowling. Venkataraghavan is good. But Bedi does not come under it,” he said.
The affable Sri Lankan advised the former Indian captain to refrain from whipping up controversies.
“He (Bedi) is also a controversial person. He has lot of controversies everywhere in the world. And he should think about himself first rather than talking about other people,” Muralitharan said.
Asked about Bedi’s comments to ban the ‘doosra’ from international cricket, Muralitharan lampooned the Indian by saying that he has no variations in his bowling and was therefore critical of others.
“He (Bedi) did not have any variation. He just bowled left arm spin and pitch did the variation for him. That is what he bowled,” he said.
Muralitharan rated Anil Kumble as the best spinner India has produced.
“You forget the best spinner is Anil Kumble. Not Bedi or Venkataraghavan or any other. I think the best ever spinner produced (in India) is Kumble. No doubt about it and nobody can doubt it. Statistics-wise and on the basis of other things, he is far ahead than other guys,” he said.
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