Now Sri Lanka Want ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Trophy for Muttiah Muralitharan!

After the Indian cricketers shouted themselves hoarse about wanting to win the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 for Sachin Tendulkar, Sri Lanka have joined the bandwagon but for one of their own in Muttiah Muralitharan.

muttiah muralitharan helicopter

A new movement has begun in Sri Lanka and this one is about honouring their own cricketers, in particular one who has a stadium built in his name in Pallekele, Kandy.

Muttiah Muralitharan quit Test cricket with 800 Test wickets and now looks to bow out of the ODI format in style. He will be competing for Sri Lanka for the fourth and final time in a World Cup in a bid to be part of the winning time for a second time since 1996.

But the Sri Lankan cricketers and Muralitharan's team mates are eager to win the tournament for Sri Lanka as much as they want it to be about Muralitharan. The sentiment is rather similar to the one being echoed in India for Sachin Tendulkar although the latter has not spoken about his retirement yet.

What is rather perplexing is that the cricketers, in their enthusiasm, are making declarations that are not only noble in intentions but also, a tad over the top because judging by some of the comments, it would seem as if the team had already won the World Cup and all that remained was lifting the trophy.

Despite the fact that these teams should have easier league rounds, it does not ensure that the Cup is a foregone conclusion. Perhaps it would be wise to make these declarations after the conclusion of the tournament. After all Tendulkar and Muralitharan are still playing and it would not be funny when if the respective team should not win, then these cricketers come in for criticism as well. How ironic would that be!