Editing Muttiah Muralitharan (section)

==Early years and personal life==
Muralitharan was born 17 April 1972 to a [[Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka|Hill Country Tamil]] [[Hindu]] family in [[Kandy]], Sri Lanka, the eldest of the four sons to Sinnasamy Muttiah and Lakshmi. Muralitharan's father, Sinnasamy Muttiah, runs a successful biscuit-making business.<ref name="Mulari early days">{{Cite news |url=http://www-ieem.ust.hk/dfaculty/ravi/cricket/apr26-98.html |title='Murali' – bowling wizard of international fame |first=M. B. |last=Dassanayake |work=Sunday Observer |date=26 April 1998 |access-date=11 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080309151813/http://www-ieem.ust.hk/dfaculty/ravi/cricket/apr26-98.html |archive-date=9 March 2008 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> Muralitharan's paternal grandfather, Periyasamy Sinasamy, came from South India to work in the tea plantations of central Sri Lanka in 1920.<ref name="Telegraph, UK,-09/12/07">{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/scyldberry/2327918/Muralitharan-toes-line-in-Sri-Lanka-riven-by-war.html |title=Muralitharan toes line in Sri Lanka riven by war |first=Scyld |last=Berry |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=9 December 2007 |access-date=19 March 2024 |location=London |archive-date=19 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240319121735/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/scyldberry/2327918/Muralitharan-toes-line-in-Sri-Lanka-riven-by-war.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Sinasamy later returned to the country of his birth with his daughters and settled in [[Tiruchirappalli]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India. However, his sons, including Muralitharan's father Muttiah, remained in Sri Lanka.<ref name="An honour to play for Super Kings">{{Cite news |url= http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/16/stories/2008041656901900.htm |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080420064903/http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/16/stories/2008041656901900.htm |url-status= dead |archive-date= 20 April 2008 |title= An honour to play for Super Kings |first= S |last= Dinkar |date= 16 April 2008 |access-date= 16 April 2008 |work= [[The Hindu]] |location= Chennai, India }}</ref>

When he was nine years old, Muralitharan was sent to [[St. Anthony's College, Kandy]], a private school run by [[Benedictine]] monks. He began his cricketing career as a medium pace bowler but on the advice of his school coach, Sunil Fernando, he took up off-spin when he was fourteen years old. He soon impressed and went on to play for four years in the school First XI. In those days he played as an [[all-rounder]] and batted in the middle order. In his final two seasons at St Anthony's College he took over one hundred wickets and in 1990–91 was named as the 'Bata Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year'.<ref name="Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year">{{Cite news|url=https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2008/03/16/spo01.asp|title=Murali won Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year title in 1991|first=A C|last=de Silva|work=[[Sunday Observer (Sri Lanka)|Sunday Observer]]|date=16 March 2008|access-date=25 March 2008|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080319224912/http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2008/03/16/spo01.asp|archive-date=19 March 2008}}</ref>

After leaving school he joined [[Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club]] and was selected for the Sri Lanka A tour of England in 1991. He played in five games but failed to capture a single wicket. On his return to Sri Lanka he impressed against [[Allan Border]]'s Australian team in a practice game and then went on to make his Test debut at [[R. Premadasa Stadium]] in the Second Test match of the series.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://ganeshyamalabittu.tripod.com/heroes/id19.html|title=Heroes Muttiah Muralitharan Profile|access-date=12 February 2008|archive-date=25 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110625191234/http://ganeshyamalabittu.tripod.com/heroes/id19.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

When his grandfather died at the age of 104 in July 2004, Muralitharan returned home from [[2004 Asia Cup|Asia Cup]] to attend his funeral. Periyasamy Sinasamy's first wish to see Muralitharan claiming the world record for the most Test wickets was realised (passing the record set by [[Courtney Walsh]]), but not his desire to live to see his grandson married. Muralitharan's grandmother had died one month earlier at the age of 97. Muralitharan's manager, Kushil Gunasekera, stated that "Murali's family is closely knit and united. They respect traditional values. The late grandfather enjoyed a great relationship with Murali."<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2004/07/29/stories/2004072902152100.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040905235726/http://www.hindu.com/2004/07/29/stories/2004072902152100.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 September 2004|title=Murali's grandfather's unfulfilled wish|date=29 July 2004|access-date=18 January 2008|work=[[The Hindu]]|location=Chennai, India}}</ref>

Muralitharan married Madhimalar Ramamurthy,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.tamilweek.com/images/muralibride_Medium_.jpg |title=Archived copy |access-date=27 December 2009 |archive-date=8 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110108145810/http://tamilweek.com/images/muralibride_Medium_.jpg |url-status=dead }}</ref> a [[Chennai]] native, on {{Nowrap|21 March}} 2005.<ref name="tribune-2/3/05">{{Cite news |url= http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050203/sports.htm#5 |title= Murali to tie knot with Chennai girl |first= Anup |last= Chandra |work= The Tribune |location= Chandigarh, India |date= 3 February 2005 |access-date= 1 January 2008 |archive-date= 18 January 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080118213847/http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050203/sports.htm#5 |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title= A significant moment in Murali's life |url= http://www.thehindu.com/2005/03/22/stories/2005032205102200.htm|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141130095709/http://www.thehindu.com/2005/03/22/stories/2005032205102200.htm|url-status= dead|archive-date= 30 November 2014|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=22 March 2005}}</ref> Madhimalar is the daughter of the late Dr S. Ramamurthy of Malar Hospitals, and his wife Dr Nithya Ramamurthy.<ref>{{cite news|title=Muralitharan ties the knot|url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=AWGLNB&req_dat=1054640702C8DBC0&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F10905C0F44434E2B|work=[[The Hindu]]|via=Newsbank|date=22 March 2005|access-date=19 March 2024}}</ref> Their first child, Naren, was born in January 2006.<ref name=lnp->''Lanka Newspapers''[http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2006/1/5237.html World Cup to be Murali`s swansong?] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927214030/http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2006/1/5237.html |date=27 September 2007 }}</ref>

Muttiah Muralitharan holds [[Overseas Citizenship of India|Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)]]<ref>{{cite news|last1=Chaturvedi|first1=Vinita|date=2010-08-01|title=I admire Rajinikanth: Muralitharan|work=The Times of India|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/people/I-admire-Rajinikanth-Muralitharan/articleshow/6240954.cms|url-status=live|access-date=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103082957/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-08-01/people/28317575_1_test-cricket-t20-odis|archive-date=2012-11-03}}</ref> and he does not need a visa for travelling to [[India]]. According to his manager, Kushil Gunasekera, Muralitharan qualifies for this status because his family originates from India.<ref>{{cite web|date=7 August 2010|title=Sri Lankan govt may issue special Murali stamp|url=http://nation.com.pk/sports/07-Aug-2010/Sri-Lankan-govt-may-issue-special-Murali-stamp|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117020129/http://nation.com.pk/sports/07-Aug-2010/Sri-Lankan-govt-may-issue-special-Murali-stamp|archive-date=2015-11-17|access-date=1 April 2011|work=The Nation|location=Pakistan}}</ref> Muttiah announced on 3 April 2011 that he was retiring from all sport.