Forget Bedi, concentrate on record, Arjuna tells Murali

Sri Lanka’s World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunge who is a staunch supporter of champion off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan does not think that Murali should waste his time on suing people like the former Indian captain Beshen Singh Bedi who called him the best shot putter in history.

Arjuna speaking to The Sunday Times said “I do not think Murali should waste his time on chasing behind futile people like Bedi. It is well noticed that when he praises a person it is always an Australian and never even an Indian or a Sri Lankan. “Either he has a kink on white people or else he is looking to get a work permit in Australia. He is clearly a publicity hunter when ever a Sri Lankan tour of Australia comes close he comes out with a statement of this nature. So what Murali really should do is to concentrate in breaking that World record and prove to that he is undoubtedly the best bowler in cricket history”.

The whole controversy surfaced when Bedi took a swipe at Murali calling him the best shot-putter in history. He went on to accuse Murali of killing the game. Bedi also said that even if Murali takes 1000 wickets, he would count them as run-outs. Bedi has been the biggest critic of Muralitharan and has time and again referred to him as a 'chucker'.

Meanwhile Muralitharan has sent a letter of demand to the former Indian left arm spinner Bedi claiming Rs.750 million or face a legal battle in court.

The Indian newsline Times also referring to the same issue quoted Arjuna as saying “When a dog bites you, you don’t bite the dog” and also dismissed Bedi as a publicity hound and said “Muralitharan should not be worried about an old man whose life is ending”.