Muttiah Muralitharan: Holder of the All-Time Wickets Record

Muttiah Muralitharan played for Sri Lanka from 1992 to 2011 and holds the record for the most wickets in both Test cricket (800) and ODI cricket (534) at the time of his retirement. His unorthodox wrist position and flexible elbow joint allowed him to generate turn that most off-spinners cannot replicate, and he developed the doosra — a ball that turns away from right-handers — as an additional weapon.

The 800 Test Wickets

Muralitharan passed Shane Warne's record of 708 Test wickets in 2007. His 800th wicket came in the final Test of his career, against India in Galle in 2010, when he dismissed Pragyan Ojha — fittingly, his last act in Test cricket sealed the record. He averaged 22.72 per wicket across 133 Tests, and took ten wickets in a match 22 times — more than any other bowler.

The Doosra and Bowling Action

Muralitharan's action was scrutinised and tested by biomechanical laboratories on multiple occasions. He was twice called for throwing in Australia and once in England. Independent testing found that the bend in his elbow was a congenital condition — a permanently bent arm — not an illegal straightening. The ICC subsequently revised Laws to permit up to 15 degrees of elbow extension, which effectively legitimised actions like his.

Legacy

Muralitharan was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2014. He transformed Sri Lanka from a team of promising batters into a side that could win Test series anywhere, largely on the strength of his bowling. Cricket statisticians often point out that his Test wickets average of 22.72 is the best among bowlers with more than 200 Test wickets.