'1996 World Cup side was better' - Murali

[Pata]

Why he is telling something like that just before the world cup?? Its not good for the moral of our team... What do you think guys???

While Sri Lanka's name does the round of pre-World Cup predictions, Muttiah Muralitharan believes the side that lifted the 1996 World Cup was superior to the current contenders. "Some experts are tipping us to surprise a few at the World Cup and maybe even win it. I think we have a good chance but I still believe the Sri Lanka team of 1996 was better," he told the website bigstarcricket.com.

Muralitharan, 34, insisted the Arjuna Ranatunga-led side was a stronger batting unit, full of experienced attacking players. "When we won the World Cup in 1996, batting-wise the team was more experienced, had flair, everything was there in that team in 1996. This team now has a better bowling attack than what we had that time but we had a better balance in the 1996 World Cup because there were four spinners in the side and only two fast bowlers."

With 432 one-day international wickets, it would be easy to pinpoint Muralitharan as a threat on the slow and low pitches in the West Indies, but he felt spinners would struggle. "The rules have changed now with the 20-over power plays coming so the spinners go out of the game, you can't play two or three spinners any more," he said. "We have only one spinner at the moment so fast bowlers have more chance [of success] because they bowl in the power play."

Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas, the other veteran bowler in the Sri Lankan side, were both rested for the recent ODI series against India. Both will play their final World Cup. Sri Lanka have been drawn in Group B along with India, Bangladesh and Bermuda.

[lasanka]

welll it could boost morale ina way and also it kinda makes the opposition metally kinda think were weak.. its strategy bro...

[Anusha]

I believe so too. We don't have reliable players anymore. Those days, Aravinda, Mahanama, Arjuna could take the whole load on themselves and steady the score if the top order batsmen failed. But we don't really see that now. When they fail, they fail in a row!!!

[lasanka]

umm well the top order doesn realli do well now... and the middle is gettin better .. with comments like dis our guys will wanna prove themselves ...

[lasanka]

we have mahela, sanga, marvan, dilshan, arnold, chamara these guys are those hu can bat... not includin sana and tharanga.. potentially were pretty gud...

[Pata]

If dats a trick its good.. otherwise I dont think its not good from the teams point of view
welll it could boost morale ina way and also it kinda makes the opposition metally kinda think were weak.. its strategy bro...

[Anusha]

we have mahela, sanga, marvan, dilshan, arnold, chamara these guys are those hu can bat... not includin sana and tharanga.. potentially were pretty gud...
But we don't have HITTERS. Every team has at least one hitter. :(

Our guys will just nudge the ball to gaps and steal a single. They can't hit boundaries in the 25-40 overs :(

[Pata]

Reliability wise its not the best batting line up.. But capability wise this lineup is far superior than what we had in 1996.. Sanga, Mahela,Upul, Jaiya, Dilshan, Silva .. These guys can do wonders if they can use their brain a little bit... And from the bowling point of view we have such agreat fast bowling aack than in 1996... Where we only had Vass who was the only Qty paceman
I believe so too. We don't have reliable players anymore. Those days, Aravinda, Mahanama, Arjuna could take the whole load on themselves and steady the score if the top order batsmen failed. But we don't really see that now. When they fail, they fail in a row!!!

[Anusha]

Reliability wise its not the best batting line up.. But capability wise this lineup is far superior than what we had in 1996.. Sanga, Mahela,Upul, Jaiya, Dilshan, Silva .. These guys can do wonders if they can use their brain a little bit...
Brains + improvisation. :yes:

[lasanka]

yaaa improvisation.. pace attack is pretty gud! ya as long as the guys hold it together.. with vaasi bk they should pull through .. if they shape up yea sure have a good attack.. as for the batsmen the only hitter of sorts will be maharoof....

[Pata]

And Chamara too will come in handy specially taking it up to the spinners.. :yes:

yaaa improvisation.. pace attack is pretty gud! ya as long as the guys hold it together.. with vaasi bk they should pull through .. if they shape up yea sure have a good attack.. as for the batsmen the only hitter of sorts will be maharoof....

[lasanka]

And Chamara too will come in handy specially taking it up to the spinners.. :yes:
yaaa tru tru...
still wish he had a lil more exposure before this...
if sana can get a gud start we all gud man.. i mean not much if he and tharanga can hold up for abt 50 to 60 .. (blaze to 50 or 60) the rest should be easy .. the problem is the batting hasn realli been consistant ..

[Anusha]

And Chamara too will come in handy specially taking it up to the spinners.. :yes:
Let's hope so :yes:

[lasanka]

hell ya! if we work as a unit.. have a pretty gud chance

[Anusha]

hell ya! if we work as a unit.. have a pretty gud chance
But I'm a bit worried about New Zealand. :(

[lasanka]

ya they are performing way too wel.. but umm is there any probability of us facin em early?? i knw that were in a gud group and hopefully will qualify quite easily to the 2nd round..

[11111111]

Why do we after a Murali's statement like this. If you think that was a insult to the team, what the hell you think you are doing now!. You are insulting the spinner himself. This isn't a topic to discuss. Just like the news 1st!.

[lasanka]

dude calm down were analyzin somethin else ... feel free to give ur comments!

[11111111]

:D Cool downed!... Hehe anyways lets wish for our team!

[lasanka]

go SL all the best! heheh

[Pata]

Hey hey we are not insulting.. We are giving out our own opinion regarding this statement.. If you have any you can post it as well..
Why do we after a Murali's statement like this. If you think that was a insult to the team, what the hell you think you are doing now!. You are insulting the spinner himself. This isn't a topic to discuss. Just like the news 1st!.

[lasanka]

precisely!

[11111111]

1000 apologies ppl

[lasanka]

hehe 1000 eh?

[GNS]

Brains + improvisation

First Brain. then Improveisation...
:D:D:D

[Anusha]

First Brain. then Improveisation...
:D:D:D
I'd like to see more improvisation, from at least one batsman in a partnership.

[geethq]

:yes: :yes:

[GNS]

I'd like to see more improvisation, from at least one batsman in a partnership.

I think SriLanka Cricket (select board) is not doing a fine job...

[lasanka]

do u really??? considering that we currently dont really have a borad... hehe