Only Muthiah can bowl 'doosra': Mallet

Chennai, May 8 (UNI) Former Aussie off-spinner Ashley Mallet is apprehensive that after Shane Warne and Stewart McGill there would be a void in leg spin talent Down Under.

In a chat with newspersons at the MAC Spin Foundation here where he is on a week-long assignment to impart skills of off spinning to the trainees, he said there was nobody of that talent to take over from Warne and McGill as yet.

Mallet also opined that legendary Sri Lankan Muthiah Muralidharan was the only off spinner who bowls the 'doosra'. He has an unusual wrist action which can turn the ball in the direction which other bowlers cannot'', he said.

Mallet said there were no doubts about Muralidharan's bowling action now.

Asked if he used to bowl the 'doosra', the lanky Aussie who captured 152 wickets in 38 tests at an average of 29.84, answered in the negative.

Asked who was the best offie in his opinion, Mallet said India's Errapalli Prasanna eventhough he was expensive. ''He was very attacking and was after the batsman'', he pointed out.

Mallet agreed that Aussie batsmen were poor at palying off spinners However, Mark Waugh was an exception, he added.

Asked about another Aussie legend Greg Chappel, who took over as India's coach from John Wright, Mallet said Greg was one of the greaest players of this era. '' He is pretty strong. He knows what he stands for'', he said.

Mallet's other 'greats' of the game were Ian Chappel,Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, M Vaughan, V V S Lakshman and Indian skipper Rahul Dravid.

About his own best spell during his career, Mallet picked his eight wicket bag against Pakistan in 1972.

Mallet said he would be coaching the boys at the Spin Foundation for the next three years.

UNI VV MIR PM2314