• Hello and welcome to Walk the Talk, I am Shekhar Gupta at the village of Seenigama on the southern coast of Sri Lanka and my guest today is somebody that Steve Waugh described as the Don Bradman of bowling. Muttiah Muralitharan, welcome to Walk the Talk. I believe you’re as good at rebuilding as destroying?

(Laughs) Not really, actually because of the tsunami, we’ve come to the village.

• You destroy batsmen’s innings, but you’ve rebuilt this village that had been completely destroyed by the tsunami.

Yes, we had a foundation before with Kushil Gunasekera (Murali’s manager) and he did everything. I was collecting the funds and getting help from various people.

• And Chaminda Vaas as well?

Yes, he is also one of the members of the foundation, what he did was help the poor before the tsunami, make sure their lives were in place. On December 26, the tragedy happened in this village, houses were damaged and nearly a thousand people died right here in this area. So we thought of helping these people and that’s why through various people we’ve built around 6,000 houses now.

• I believe you were in this area just a few minutes before the tsunami struck.

No, actually I was coming here to give poor people school bags and stuff like that, we had a small function in this place. I was on the way but halfway through I heard the news and I just turned away. But Kushil was here and he had to run away from the waves to escape.

• And his own house was destroyed?

Yes, that house he (had)maintained as a helping place for the poor people in this village.

• What got you so fully involved? I know you’re a great Sri Lankan icon, so you would be expected to do something, but you’re busy, you’re playing all the time, shooting for commercials if not playing, and also travelling all around the world.

I’m not shooting a lot of commercials, only a few. But as a cricketer, because people have helped us reach this stage and fame, we owe everything to them. We have the talent but spectators have to see the game and we have to give something back.

• And you think you have a strong sense of owing something to the people?

Definitely, because it is they who made you famous, I couldn’t have been what I have become on my own. They have made me famous, so helping people is something you have to do. They have given so much to you.

• You’re bigger than a rock star in Sri Lanka, aren’t you?

Not really. I think I’m a normal person, just like everyone else (Laughs). But the thing is, I’m a cricketer, and in Asia, cricket is very popular, not like other countries. Cricketers are very well known and well looked after.

• You may have been asked this question before, but you are in a divided country in many ways, and you, in some sense, are a symbol who shows that people who are otherwise divided can stay together. You’re the only Tamil in the national team, and now you’re helping rebuild a Sinhala village. Have you ever thought about it?

Yes, because we tried to help Trincomalee and Batticaloa, but at that time we didn’t have the people who wanted to do this kind of thing. Kushil was known as my manager and my friend, I know him very well, and before that we had helped people. This village was very badly damaged.

• So, you’re working to build a Sinhala village, you see nothing unusual about it? Do you see yourself as a Tamil or as an outright Sri Lankan?

I like my race as well, but the thing is we’re all human so we don’t think of ourselves as Sinhalese or Tamil, we’re all human beings. There’s a saying that you don’t know how long you’re going to live in this place, because at the end of the day you just take the memories with you. So I just want to be happy and help people as much as possible and live a memorable life. We are planning a programme to bring some kids, around 30 to 50 of them, every five to six months and we’re making arrangements for teaching computers, teaching English. We’ll keep them here, teach them and send them back to Jaffna or Trincomalee, that’s the area. This is the future plan.

• So you’ll bring Tamil kids from there and train them and send them back?

Yes, because whoever wants to send their kids can, and we’ll train them and send them back. In this country, it’s very difficult to get computer classes in the villages.

• Have you ever thought of doing something more by the way of bringing communities together? Because you could be that ambassador who could do it in such a divided country.

Yes, but the thing is, it’s not easy, I think we can try in a simple way. It all depends on the politicians because they are the ones who have the key rather than us.

• Politicians may have the key, but I think you have the magic.

But people like me as a cricketer, I don’t want to get into this politics.

• But some of your colleagues have, or they have tried.

Yes, but because of the ethnic clashes, it’s not easy to put together that much, there’s so much hatred. So for me to talk is easy, because I’m well known and well-placed, but other people have gone through difficulties. They might know the hardships of life and how they went through it all.

• When you tell them to reconcile, they may come and tell you ‘But Murali, you’ve had a good time, think of what we’ve gone through.’

Yes, so they have had hardships, because I have heard that in those places when the war was on there was no electricity for 15 years. So it’s not easy for me to say, ‘you can do this.’ So the only thing is humanity-wise, in whatever way I can help, I want to do that. It is not a simple thing, it is 25 years of hatred.

• But when you first came into the national team, were you conscious of this fact?

I have lived in an environment of Tamils and Sinhalese (living) together.

• In Kandy? Different from Jaffna?

Yes, totally different from Jaffna, and I was in a hostel, St Anthony’s College, so all the Sinhalese, Muslims, Christians and Tamils lived together. So I didn’t feel the differences.

• Did you ever face discrimination as a Tamil?

Actually, no, because my parents... when I was small, in 1977 and 1983, our house and everything was burnt in the riots. So we had to run away to survive.

• You were hardly a teenager at that time.

No, no, in 1977 I was only six years old, in 1983 I was a bit more aware, I was in hostel at that time. That was the only discrimination we had. After that we were a bit scared to live in this country. But still, our parents took a chance and lived.

• Many Tamils left Sri Lanka at that time.

Yes, they all went to India, because we are Indian origin Tamils. My grandfather is from India, we came from there in the 1920s.

• So when your house was burnt and your family contemplated migration, how much time did it take you to get over that bitterness, or the fear?

I was too young, my family was fearful for a long time, but they didn’t want to leave. We had a biscuit confectionary, we were doing well. They didn’t just want to go to another place and rebuild everything. My parents thought they’ll just take a chance and live here.

• And your first appearance for Sri Lanka? Were you conscious of the fact that you were a Tamil in a predominantly Sinhala team in a Sinhala nation, with such a history of bitterness?

No, because when I was playing for school I was one of the outstanding cricketers in the country, I was taking so many wickets. Everyone wanted me to achieve everything one day. I didn’t have that kind of feeling because I was far ahead of the other boys.

• It’s a bit like Danish Kaneria in the Pakistan team today, a team that has never had a Hindu regular. And now you see, he’s as much a hero in the Pakistan team as anybody else.

Because in sports the discrimination doesn’t come much, it may be just one per cent. In life, maybe it can come more, but in sports, it’s not much.

• Monty Panesar?

Yes, you can’t leave people out when the performance is there. I didn’t have that kind of thing, because the environment in which I lived was a different one.

• I find this fascinating, that some of the key strike bowlers in teams around the world are from those countries’ minorities. Danish Kaneria, you, Monty Panesar, in the Indian team, Munaf Patel, Irfan Pathan. It’s a very interesting thing, so you see cricket as an equaliser in a way... for the Sinhalese to have a Tamil role model.

You cannot take away certain things, how determined and dedicated you are for the game and how you feel. You’ve got to be born with a certain talent. Every thing clicked for me so I can’t say it was because of minority or majority. It varies, it depends on how you bowl and how you play the game, how you see it. That is all that is countable.

• Another interesting thing that I have realised here is that you have rebuilt this village. I can’t get away from that metaphor of rebuilding. You seem to have found a lot of help and support from people you have given most trouble to: Australian cricketers. I see Steve Waugh Foundation, Shane Warne Foundation have contributed here. One man you have given a lot of trouble to as a batsman and the other man you are competing with all the time...

Yes, first of all I would like to say that it’s not me only, because a lot of people together did it. Our main man was Kushil Gunasekera, he is my manager. He has done 90 per cent of the work. Our work was to get funds and stuff like that. I helped in that way only, building and construction, he has sent his people.

• You just got the batsman number one, two and three.

Yes, actually I went to ask for help from Shane Warne, Steve Waugh, he gave 10 houses here. Shane Warne put 12 houses through a Melbourne-based organisation.

• Basically the cricket community around the world has got together to rebuild.

Fifty per cent of the cricketers’ community through my influence and 50 per cent through his (Kushil’s) influence in USA... Danish aid we got. We have built about 600 houses and then we are making a library for the kids.

• Who are your closest friends in the international cricketing community?

I was very close to Andrew Flintoff, because I played with him for Lancashire and he is a very good friend of mine. There are a few other cricketers, Anil (Kumble) is very close, I was associated with him. Shane Warne is a friend.

• What is this friendship with Steve Waugh? Because he says such complimentary things about you when a lot of the Australians are critical of you. They sympathise with Darrell Hair on your action. But Steve Waugh is someone who has always been upfront in saying that your action is clean.

I think Steve Waugh is one of the greatest players I have seen and the greatest captain. Because nobody had his mental strength. At least, of the players I have seen on ground.

Steve Waugh says what he thinks. We have only spoken a few times on the field. He hardly speaks and he is a big personality and he only says the needful. But the friendship we have through Kushil... Kapil, Botham, Steve Waugh, they came here and helped us a lot in this village.

• But Steve Waugh calling you the Bradman of bowling was that shot in the arm, if I can use that metaphor.

Maybe he was complimenting me a bit too much. I cannot say I am the Bradman of bowling. It is difficult to describe myself. Other people can say things and I just listen, that’s all.

• You would have loved to bowl at Bradman.

Maybe not. Because he has made millions of runs and I would have gone for millions of runs.

• Maybe not, but tell me Murali, wherever I see, I see a little Australian fingerprint here. I see a Perth community, I see an Australian cricketers’ foundation all over. I see pictures of Australian Cricketers. This special ‘love affair’ that you have had with Australia... it’s not all pleasant if you also go back to 1995 Boxing Day when you were called five times or seven times.

All said and done it’s a one-man decision. It was Darrell Hair’s decision. He was the umpire and he can make that decision. That’s his right. So I think because of one man you cannot blame all of Australia. They are not bad as people, because I have seen that in world cricket Australia has helped Sri Lankan cricket more than any Asian nations like India and Pakistan.

• How has Australia helped Sri Lanka?

When we were struggling, they gave us three Test matches, England only gave one, West Indies did not give us any. In that way Australia has helped us a lot.

• But, take me back to that Boxing Day. What were the thoughts on your mind? We know that Steve Dunne was not calling you.

I think that I want to put that in the past. I don’t want to mention it at all. Because it’s controversial.

• Twelve years have gone past, you can talk a little about your feelings. Did you have doubts at some point, ‘Am I doing something wrong.’

No, I don’t want to talk about that because I am still a contracted player. I am still playing international cricket. So I want to keep quiet on that matter.

• But did you see that need for correction? We know you went through some correction.

I never did any correction, I just got myself tested bio-mechanically.

• In Hong Kong?

First Australia and then Hong Kong.

• But there was no time when you were worried?

I was not at all worried about my action.

• Your team always stood by you.

Yes, definitely. The team, the cricket board, the public, all thought I was doing the right thing and they just kept their faith in me.

• Did you ever face remarks by rival players by way of sledging? Saying stuff like you are chucking or you are a javelin thrower.

Not really, but I have come across Bishan Singh Bedi, but I don’t know how his mind functions. Maybe it’s pure jealousy, because what I have achieved, he has not done anything like me.

• So Bishan Singh Bedi is your critic?

Yes, he has criticised me in public several times. But I just keep quiet because anybody can say anything. I think they speak senselessly.

• The other thing about Australia, the Australians are coaching the whole world right now, isn’t it? There’s Moody, Chappell, there’s Buchanan.

I think there is some talent and that is why every cricket board wants them to coach. So we can’t be critical.

• Does every cricket team want to be like Australia?

We don’t think like that. We want to be like us. We want the Sri Lankan way of playing and want to succeed like that. We don’t want to be like Australians.

• Everybody has an Australian coach, India has an Australian coach.

But coaching does not mean adopting the Australian way. The coaches come and adapt to our culture and they give their experience to us.

• I know you have hesitations talking about 1995, tell me about the low points in your life. When were the times you went to bed disturbed or unhappy.

Yes, in 1995 and 1998 when problems came, I was slightly at a low point. But I think I was not doing anything wrong and I just stood by myself. I have strong opinions about whatever I did. I was not doing anything wrong so I just kept on going. There are ups and downs in everyone’s life. So when there are low times, just think positive.

• Basically you had problems only with one umpire, that was in Australia.

Yes, that’s all in the past. In life, I don’t think about the past because past is past.

• Have you bowled with him again?

Definitely, so many times.

• And you’ve never had trouble with him? Have you exchanged notes with him, on the field or off it?

Yes, I just talked to him. Because I don’t have any hatred for him. He did what he wants according to him, and I think in cricket, whatever the law says, he can do that. So he can say that he has gone by the law.

• He has again made news now with Pakistan.

I don’t want to comment on that.

• I know, you were not involved, but he’s that kind of personality.

I don’t want to talk about him because it’s not my business. That is his opinion, what he does is for his own.

• But whatever happened you put that in the past. You will now play with him. You will have no questions or doubts if he is officiating in a match you are playing.

Definitely, no doubts.