Oh Murali!

The torchlight eyes and the spectacular smile makes cricket all the more worth watching. For me, the moment of the first semi-final was when Murali took a diving catch of a Styris scoop and jump in sheer joy only to realize it was a no-ball. His facial expressions changed not to disgust but just muttering under his breath. It was just fantastic. You can keep watching this man play, it reminds me of the old West Indians, sheer joy. Somehow one does not get the same feeling when the Australians or South Africans triumph, it is more clinical and definitely superior but not joyful.

An earlier Murali moment was when he took KP's wicket against England. A beautiful doosra, a good catch and a priceless expression. I am sure even without these powerful TV cameras Murali's eyes would have been caught back in 1983. It is not just about winning or losing but how you play the game. Sadly, I don't see any Indian cricketer do that any more. I guess the endorsements are back in their mind all the time. With West Indies in terminal decline and Pakistan in shambles and the rest only clinical, we had to look for some joy in the inconsistent Bangladeshi tigers and of course the Sri Lankans. But Murali is the only beacon of hope in this cup.

I have to admit I was hopeful of Freddie Flintoff. After a long time it appeared that a true cricketer was emerging out of England, Kapil/Botham style. But he was very disappointing in this series. It would be good for world cricket if he bounces back. Another loss was Brett Lee. A cricketer whom I enjoy watching. There is something about their attitude and how they play their game which is more appealing to me than their actual performance. McGrath is any day better than Lee but I would prefer the latter any time.

I guess Murali's action is definitely suspect, but I will set all aside just for his personality and attitude in the field. Go Murali, make cricket worth watching..

P.S. - It is sad to see here that most Indians have stopped watching the game after India was out. Young boys were playing outside when Jayawardene was building one of the classic innings in the game. I don't see much hope in Indian cricket improving....