DON THE CONTRARY

According to last weekend's Sunday Age, Don Bradman thought Murali a legitimate bowler.

Bradman felt Muralitharan was a clean bowler

Sir Donald Bradman declared Muttiah Muralitharan's controversial bowling action legal and described umpire Darrell Hair's attitude towards the Sri Lankan spinner as "distasteful" shortly before his death in 2001.

Most everyone would be prepared to accept the "distasteful" part, but considering Bradman's history with chucking, the rest seemed a stretch. Mike Coward reports on the doubters.

Web spun over Don comment

RENEWED claims that Donald Bradman believed the no-balling of Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing retarded the development of world cricket have been dismissed as "bizarre and far-fetched" by the guardians of the Bradman legacy.

Not sure where Coward sits on chucking, but it's possible to read plenty into his last paragraph.

Thompson, an unabashed admirer of Muralitharan, recently presented the controversial Sri Lankan off-spinner with a cricket ball autographed by Bradman to mark his achievement of 500 Test wickets.

Tim Lane, on the other hand, is an out-and-out critic of Murali and the balls-up that is chucking.

The Don and Murali

"The most arresting aspect of (Bradman's) comments is the change of heart such a strong position on behalf of a suspect bowler would represent."

Comments

[pat]

It would be good to see or write a post along the lines of "Bradman, man and mouse": obviously and without argument the greatest batsman ever but asa person and overall, a sportsman, a complete arsehead.

[hungbunny]

What are you talking about, Tony? Bowlers? Spinners? As in hats and washing machines? You are odd down there, and no mistake. (By "down there" I mean Australia, not your cock.)

[Tony.T]

Let's be fair, Pat, I wasn't having a go at Bradman.

I was being indirectly critical of Thompson and the issue of whether Bradman would have called Murali a fair bowler.

You might be right, Hung, we are odd down here. However, I was referring to marbles and flying saucers. That's flying saucers, not your cockery.

Boom. Tish.

[pat]

Well, it's about time someone really took a shot at the old icon. Where's a lefty deconstructionist when you need one.

Just because Bradman was a batting prodigy doesn't make him a font of all things cricket. Ray Martin aspires to that sort of thinking - I'll have Steve Waugh's opinion any day over anything Bradman has to say.

[Tony.T]

Isn't Steve Waugh a lefty?

[os]

I agree with Tim Lane's take on the issue, but have to say he went down in my estimation after the Weekend Australian Magazine's page on 10 Things We Didn't Know about him.

I already knew he was a Tasmanian and because there are some very far hillsides and deep valleys in Denmark, it would hardly be fair to hold that against him.

But favourite dinner guests - Jesus (that's OK) and GOUGH WHITLAM? Bloody Hell.

And the parenthetical comment that one thing he hates is governments creating fear and division and mistrust.

I smell a Lefty. Burn him!

[Tony.T]

Didn't see it, Os, but I'll buy the petrol.

ABC slime never washes off.

[os]

Get Brandy, then I can keep the remainder. Actually, Tim isn't a bad sort on the mike, better than many of the others.

[Tony.T]

Tim goes really well with Tim Watcon, Gary Lyon and Billy Brownless every Monday and Friday morning on the radio. 1116 SEN Sports. He's prepared to speak his mind.

[Big Ramifications]

"obviously and without argument the greatest batsman ever but as a person and overall, a sportsman, a complete arsehead."

"Well, it's about time someone really took a shot at the old icon."

Anyone familiar with the... shall we say... peculiar way The Don acquired his stockbroking clients after he retired? Naturally, it only really came to the public's attention after he fell off the perch.

[Tony.T]

Most older South Aussies knew the story, but kept quiet until he'd kicked off. My dad, who lived in SA for a few years, used to talk about it. And my Godfather's brother-in-law who used to play test cricket (Shtum) mentioned it once or twice.

[Clem Snide]

You've been rather mute on the subject of Brett Lee's bowling action, Tony, particularly his second ball lbw of Fleming at the Telstra Dome last week. What gives? Meckiff Muralitharan isn't the only chucker around, you know.

[Tony.T]

I don't watch many one-dayers, Clem, so I didn't see Lee last week.

However, I certainly reckon his action gets a bit sloppy when he's steaming in, although this is the first I've heard he was back to his old tricks.