We're overjoyed says Murali's brother

The family of spinner Muttiah Muralidaran, the only Tamil player in the Sri Lankan team, says the LTTE defeat lifts clouds of terrorism in the nation

The family of spinner Muttiah Muralidaran, the only Tamil player in the Sri Lankan team, says the LTTE defeat lifts clouds of terrorism in the nation

SRI Lanka's ace spinner Muttiah Muralidaran, also known as Murali, often found himself in the spotlight as a Tamilian in the Sinhala-dominated Sri Lankan national cricket team, in the ethnically divided nation. Now, even as Sri Lanka opens a new chapter in its history, with the Liberation of Tamil Tigers Eelam (LTTE) leader V Prabhakaran killed and Lanka being declared terror free, Murali's family is celebrating like many in Sri Lanka.

A file photo of Muttiah Muralidaran (foreground) during a practice session in Brabourne stadium pic/Atul Kamble

Murali's brother Muttiah Sasidaran said from Colombo, "Obviously we are happy, in fact, overjoyed. This is a great victory for the country and the entire nation is celebrating. This triumph will bring economic growth for us, spur investment and prove a catalyst for development," Sasidaran added, saying, "The future is bright for Sri Lanka."

It is cricket though that the family focuses on and they are doubly pleased at what the end of terrorism in Lanka means for cricket in the nation. Doubts were recently raised by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lawyers (after the PCB was denied rights for co-hosting the World Cup 2011, along with India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh). "The security situation in Sri Lanka is serious," the PCB's British lawyer Mark Gay had written in a letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC) on May 8. "The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the Tamil Tigers, are engaged in a long running armed insurgency against the Sri Lankan authorities. There have been more frequent targets of attacks. Some hotels in Colombo are situated near such locations," Gay's letter had said.

"Now, all such doubts vanish and we can successfully host the World Cup in 2011. Why only cricket, any game, any sport can now be held in any part of the country," said an elated Sasidaran. Murali is playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Chennai Super Kings in South Africa. Muralidaran's Indian wife Madhi could not be contacted in South Africa where she is with her husband and son (Naren) for the IPL. "Had the IPL been held in India, Madhi would have also gone to her motherland," said Sasidaran.

Murali has seen the ugly face of terrorism upfront. The cricketer, whose deadly doosra claimed so many scalps, escaped along with other team members when Islamic extremists opened fire on the Sri Lankan cricketers bus in Pakistan recently.