Sri Lanka achievements a fully-fit Muttiah Muralidaran can atom addition match-winning achievement adjoin England in Saturday’s Apple Cup quarterfinals.
The 38-year-old, who will retire from all-embracing candid afterwards the tournament, is all set to comedy a advance role for the co-hosts at R Premadasa Stadium.
Muralidaran, who has a apple almanac of 530 one-day wickets, afflicted his hamstring during Sri Lanka’s absorbing 112-run win over New Zealand aftermost week, but has back recovered and is gearing up for addition big match.
The arch off-spinner is the alone survivor of Sri Lanka’s celebrated five-wicket win over England in the 1996 quarterfinal — one of Sri Lanka’s two wins over their opponents in eight Apple Cup matches.
Muralidaran took two wickets in that bout in Faisalabad afore Sri Lanka went on to abduction their alone Apple Cup title.
Captain Kumar Sangakkara hopes Muralidaran will comedy addition advance role.
“Murali needs to play. This is his aftermost Apple Cup and he wins a lot of matches for us. He needs to accept the abandon to do as he pleases. He needs to basin and get wickets for us,” said Sangakkara.
Besides Muralidaran, adolescent spinner Ajantha Mendis could still be a abstruseness for England adjoin whom he has played aloof once.
Sling activity paceman Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekara and Angelo Mathews anatomy a fromidable clip advance which is accomplished at base home conditions.
Sangakkara — top scorer in the affray with 363 runs — Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene and Upul Tharanga accept all hit centuries.
