Be in limit and follow rule to bowl doosra: Muttiah Muralitharan

Are you excited to be part of Sunrisers Hyderabad as bowling coach?
Yes, definitely. My role is of a bowling coach plus consultant, something different from what I did over the past 25 years.

Can you elaborate on you role?
Just advice the bowlers on the playing conditions and how to bowl. They are experienced bowlers, so I will have to pass on some tips from what I know or have learnt from the game that I played over the years.

SRH has promising spinners like leg-spinner Karn Sharma and off-spinner Parvez Rasool. How do you see the two?
They are very good bowlers. They have not got opportunities in the longer format or in the ODIs. They have a good chance here to be on top as they are still young and talented. Those two are important and in the next opportunity they get, they might do well.

We have seen a lot of talent emerging from the IPL. How important is the league for the youngsters?
It is very important as it is the best tournament where the best players from India and overseas play. You get to face the best fast bowler and bowl against the best batsman. It is great for a youngster to get experience in such a tournament. When we were young, we had to play Test matches or ODIs to play the best, but this is a domestic tournament and the Indian domestic players get opportunity to perform and come up. They can go on and play at the international level. Playing at the highest stage becomes easy. But it is important to perform in this level (IPL).

Do you miss playing in the IPL?
I have always missed playing the game. You have to go when it is the right time. I played till last year but couldn't go on any more. I am not going to be the same bowler that I was as age catches up. Your skills too slows down.

How is coaching different from playing?
It's quite different. I have been the coach of the Bengal team in their academy in Kolkata where I would visit every three months for 10-15 days focussing on young spinners. You know, coaching is all about how you help them get better, train and advice. In the end, it is in the player's hands, you can't force them. They can get all the advice and coaching, but it is up to the player as far as performance is concerned.

You have coached Nathan Lyon and he turned out to be dangerous against India in the last Test series. What did you tell him?
He had the talent. I went and spoke to him for 15-20 days. Not only that, we had sessions in Sri Lanka and Dubai. He will only get better and better in Tests. He had the ability to spin the ball but lacked confidence. Also, he did a few adjustments. He was always a better bowler who has more than 100 Test wickets.

At one point of time, there were Muttiah Muralitharan, Saqlain Mushtaq, Harbhajan Singh playing together. Do you feel there is dearth of off-spinners now?
It's all generation wise. Bowlers will come. It is difficult to say whether it's going to be like this forever.

Is the art of off-spin vanishing?
I don't think so. We have a lot of off-spinners. The only thing is that it is very hard because it takes a long time to establish.

Is it difficult to be an off-spinner now-a-days with flat batting tracks and batsman-friendly rules?
Yes, because the game has changed. Accordingly, bowlers have to adapt like how we did in the 1990s or 2000s. The game has changed a lot. It was different in the 1970s or 78s and 90s. The bowlers will still have to adapt and bowl. Cricket is the same. Bowler has to bowl and batsman has to get runs. The game has not changed but the rules have.

Do you agree that the rules are more batsman-friendly?
See, that's the way it is. Can't say it's unfair because public likes to watch more runs scored than wickets taken. They like watching sixes, (Chris) Gayle and AB (De Villiers) smashing the ball. They don't like three or four wickets. It is advantage batsman.

Considering it being a batsman's game, should the bowlers get a leeway by allowing them to bowl something like 'doosra?
'Doosra'? It is allowed. But there are rules and regulations that say that the arm cannot bend more than 15 degrees while bowling it. There is no rule that one can't bowl a 'doosra' but the bowler has to be in the limit and follow the rule. For example, bowlers cannot cross the crease and bowl no balls. Just like that, batsman can play any shots, there are field restrictions.

Sri Lanka don't want Kumar Sangakkara to retire. Do you feel the same?
I don't know. That is not my duty. If Sanga feels he has had enough or wants to end his career, it's his wish. May be he wants to finish while still on top. People will say 'don't go, play one more year' but what if he starts failing? The same people will react why is he not going.