February 18, 2003	Tuesday	Zul Hijjah 16, 1423

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JOHANNESBURG, Feb 17: Canada may find themselves on the wrong end of a Muttiah Muralitharan backlash when they take on Sri Lanka in a World Cup Group ‘B’ match in Paarl on Wednesday.

Muralitharan, so often Sri Lanka’s match-winner, has been reduced to bit parts in South Africa so far.

His skipper Sanath Jayasuriya was the Man-of-the-Match in the team’s opening victory against New Zealand with a century, and pace bowler Chaminda Vaas then took six for 25 against Bangladesh.

Muralitharan, at his most effective in Test cricket, has claimed more than 300 career one-day victims but has been barely noticed at this World Cup, despite chipping in with five wickets at 13.40 runs apiece.

Batsman Ian Billcliff, who top-scored for Canada in their opening two games, said on Monday: “I haven’t played against him before but there’s still a lot you can do to prepare in the nets.

“However, until you get out there against him and get a good look at both him and the pitch, it’s all pretty much guess work.

“We’ll be discussing how to handle him at our team meetings, we’ll definitely have a plan going into the game.

“It’s definitely a challenge, and it’s one of the reasons why you play the game.

“The standard we usually play in the ICC (Trophy) means you don’t really come up against quality opposition of that class, and it takes a period of time to get used to that,” added Billcliff, whose 42 in Durban helped Canada to a shock victory over Bangladesh in their tournament opener.

If the Canadian top order can survive Vaas, it seems certain they will be given a severe examination by the ever-smiling, ever chattering ‘Murali’.

But at least Muralitharan does not present a physical danger.

Many of the minor teams have admitted feeling naked fear at the prospect of facing the likes of pace bowlers Brett Lee of Australia and Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar.

Namibia’s Rudi van Vuuren, who was also in his country’s 1999 rugby union World Cup squad, said earlier: “Knowing my capabilities as a batsman, I’d rather take on Jonah Lomu one-on-one than Brett Lee.”

The 30-year-old Billcliff, who has played domestic first-class cricket in New Zealand, added: “Murali...poses a very different sort of challenge from the out-and-out express bowlers.

“He’s one of the greats in world cricket and I’ll really enjoy testing myself against him.

“On the good wickets that we’re playing on at this World Cup, there’s not too many spinners that you would class as attacking spin bowlers. Murali is one.”—Reuters