COLOMBO, Feb 1: Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who has been rated by cricket ‘bible’ Wisden as the best bowler in Test cricket history, will be carrying Sri Lanka’s World Cup hopes on his shoulders in southern Africa.

The 30-year-old Muralitharan, who imparts prodigious turn through a unique combination of finger spin and wrist rotation, is a talismanic figure for the 1996 champions, who have invariably struggled when he is absent through injury.

Skipper Sanath Jayasuriya’s win ratio in One-day Internationals, since he took over the captaincy in 1999, plummets from 58 percent to just 22 when Muralitharan has not played for the team.

Muralitharan’s pre-emptive hernia surgery last November threatened to derail Sri Lanka’s World Cup preparations and the Asians were hammered 4-1 in South Africa before losing three consecutive one-day games in Australia before the year-end.

Hardly surprisingly, Muralitharan’s return to the side on Jan 9 immediately halted that losing run, inspiring back-to-back victories for Sri Lanka against Australia and England and fuelling fresh hope of World Cup success.

However, when the off spinner pulled a thigh muscle during a superb spell with the ball against Australia six days later, that dealt a hammer blow to Sri Lanka’s hopes of qualifying for the triangular series final against Australia.

During that series, though, he became only the fourth bowler in history to claim 300 wickets in both Tests and one-dayers.

He has taken 304 wickets at an average of just 23.10 in 203 one-day games, with a miserly economy rate of 3.83.

At Test level, he has claimed 437 wickets in 78 matches, with a best innings return of nine for 51 and a match haul of 10 wickets or more on 11 occasions.

But his career has been troubled by suspicions over the legality of his bowling action.

He was called for throwing during tours to Australia in 1995-96 and 1998-99 and his bowling action was recently likened to that of a javelin thrower by former India left-arm spinner Bishen Bedi.

ICC cleared his action after extensive bio-mechanical research. Scientists concluded that a congenital disability that prevented his bowling arm from fully extending, coupled with an abnormally flexible wrist, created the “optical illusion” of throwing.

The controversy proved to be the turning point of his career, helping him to become a more complete bowler, and the overwhelming support of his team mates swelled the confidence of a previously shy character.

Before the 1995-96 tour to Australia, Muralitharan had been reluctant to experiment with his bowling and relied on just one delivery — a sharply spinning off-break.

With his confidence buoyed up, though, he unveiled a range of new variations, including a straight delivery and a “floater” that moves away from the right-hander.

Now aged 30, he has vowed to continue playing for a minimum of five years. Barring serious injury, he appears destined to become the highest wicket-taker in history of the game.—Reuters