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Sri Lankan spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan has lashed out at his long-time critic Bishen Singh Bedi, calling the former Indian captain a controversy monger and ordinary bowler. Earlier, Bedi was repeatedly calling Muralitharan a ‘chucker’ and asking the ICC to ban the Sri Lankan’s ‘doosra’.

Muralitharan made the scathing remarks on Wednesday. The spinner retired from world cricket after completing 800 Test wickets at Galle against India.

He also said that Bedi was not in the league of Indian greats like B S Chandrasekhar, Srinivas Venkataraghavan and Erapalli Prasanna.

“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,” remarked Muralitharan in an interview.

“Prasanna is a good bowler. I have seen his bowling. Venkataraghavan is good. But Bedi does not come under it,” he said.

He also suggested the former Indian captain to refrain from creating 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.

Muralitharan said Anil Kumble was the best spinner India has produced and records reveal that.

“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.

When asked about the best batsman in his career, he said, “Sachin and Lara have been the most consistent batsmen in the world (to face my bowling). I admire them. I have most regards for those two guys and now place Ricky Ponting also in that list.

“I don’t know who plays me the better. They are different individuals. Statistics-wise Sachin is heading the pack. You can say Sachin is the best on that basis. But you see the other two players are great players, they are also legends. I think you cannot make comparisons. They play in different conditions and situation,” he said.

“It (controversy) did not haunt me at all. I went through it and I have done what I wanted to do in my cricketing life. So no regrets. Nothing. I am very happy to retire (from Test cricket),” he said about the loads of controversies that grappled him.
[Story Source]

This post was submitted by virendra kumar yadav.