Legendary Sri Lankan bowler Muttiah Muralitharan has expressed concern about the future of Test cricket. The off-spinner, who holds the record for the most wickets taken by any bowler in Test history with 800, admitted that he does not think his record would be broken by any bowler anytime soon. Muralitharan stated that cricketers nowadays focus on shorter formats, and therefore lack the consistency to near his record. He also expressed worry at decreasing viewership in many countries when it comes to Test cricket.
"I am definitely worried about Test cricket," said Muralitharan, speaking to English newspaper Daily Mail.
"Every country will play maybe only six or seven Test matches. England and Australia might play the Ashes. But, in some other countries, not many people are watching. There will be very little Test cricket," he added.
Muralitharan stated a fundamental reason behind why his record may not be surpassed for a long time.
"It's very hard (for someone to surpass 800 Test wickets), because emphasis has shifted to short-form cricket. Also, we played for 20 years. Careers are shorter now," he said.
The closest bowlers to Muralitharan's record are Australian spinner Nathan Lyon (530 wickets) and Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (516). However, Lyon is 36 and Ashwin is 37, and are unlikely to reach Muralitharan’s total before they retire. English fast bowler James Anderson recently retired on 704 wickets, the third-highest of all time.
Among bowlers below the age of 30, South Africa's Kagiso Rabada has the highest Test wickets, with 299.
"Consistency is the problem. It's not about how good they are, because they all are talented. The only thing is how can they become experienced? Nowadays, it's difficult. There are too many tournaments and things in their heads," Muralitharan added.
Muralitharan's own country, Sri Lanka, are one of the Test-playing nations who've seen a downfall in viewership and performance, particularly after the retirement of stalwarts like himself, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara.
In the just-concluded Test series between England and Sri Lanka, hosts England won 2-1. However, Sri Lanka ended the series on a high with an eight-wicket win.
