Bishen Bedi bowls an over to Muralitharan

Bishan Singh Bedi is surprised to be called an 'ordinary bowler' by the Lankan spin wizard. So he decides to bowl this over in response...

Bishan Singh Bediu00a0is surprised to be called an 'ordinary bowler' by the Lankan spin wizard. So he decides to bowl this over in response...

Bishan Singh Bedi in full flight during the 1970s. PIC COURTESY: Illustrated History of Indian cricket by Boria Majumdar published by Lustre press, Roli books

>> I was surprised when Muttiah Muralitharan said in an interview that I was an ordinary bowler. I don't know if he was provoked to say so. I was an ordinary bowler. The likes of Prasanna, Chandrasekhar, Venkataraghavan and Kumble were better bowlers. Never did I say I was extraordinary.

>> But at least I played within the confines and framework of the game. I didn't defy the rules. I find it so stupid even talking about this man.

>> He was such an ugly sight on the field what with all the nonsense he did with the ball.

>> I have given him credit. He is a cool customer. He was consistent in whatever he did. He had enormous stamina, enormous commitment. But that does not absolve him from anything. He always knew he was being backed by the International Cricket Council.

>> The best compliment I ever received was from Jim Laker, the great England off-spinner (who claimed 19 wickets in a Test against Australia in Manchester, 1956). He wrote in a book that it was his dream to watch Australian fast bowling great Ray Lindwall in action at one end and Bedi on the other. Another big compliment came from former England Test captain Tony Lewis, who said a clockmaker would have been very pleased to have made Bedi. For, he had precision, accuracy and elegance.

>> It should be stressed that the doosra (a delivery which Muralitharan often used as a weapon) is banned in Australia. Spinners like Shane Warne, Terry Jenner (Warne's coach) and Ashley Mallett have decided the doosra should not be taught in Australia.

As told to Clayton Murzello