Murali: Handle Me With Care

[chinaman]

Star Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has pleaded with team management to ease his workload. Muralitharan was the Man of the Series against England with 26 wickets at an average of 12 but he bowled 230 overs.

He also had to have ice applied to his shoulder inbetween Tests, admitting after the series he would have to cut down on the amount of overs he bowled.

Muralitharan said: "During the last series against England, I played with groin and shoulder injuries."

Sri Lanka play Australia in February and March and Muralitharan warned cricket chiefs to handle him with care.

Read More (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/sri_v_eng_2003/3342891.stm)

[chinaman]

Andrew Flintoff believes his career as an England all-rounder is threatened because he is bowling too much.
The Lancashire star suffered from a groin niggle in the final Test against Sri Lanka.

He has had groin problems in the past and believes over-bowling is the cause.

Flintoff said: "It is a worry because a pattern seems to be emerging that if I do bowl a lot of overs in a short space of time, my body suffers."

He was the only pace bowler to play in all three back-to-back Tests, which England lost 1-0.

Flintoff bowled 97 overs and scored 143 runs before his body finally gave up on him.

Read More (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/3343569.stm)