Controversies were good for me: Muralitharan

Sri Lankan off-spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan took time out to speak to TOI on chucking, the laws and life after cricket. Excerpts:
When you look back, do you feel you helped shake cricket out of its strait-jacketed outlook? No one had seen an action like yours, no one had seen wrist-spinning off-breaks, no one thought one man could take 800 Test wickets...
Yes, there have been many controversies, and sometimes more controversies than cricket.But at the end of the day, even the controversies were good for me, I think. Whatever wrong there was being done, it came out in the open. It has also made me popular, hasn't it? It is difficult to shake cricket out of its thinking, but I hope I have proved myself over and over. End of the day you have the record, it's your record. Even I didn't think 800 would be possible at one stage. It's a gift from god, these achievements. It makes you feel very proud, that you have come through all this and proved yourself.
Did you ever feel that there is a problem with the law and its parameters itself, that according to the law, everybody might have a suspect action? That they are all chuckers? That the ICC messed up somewhere?
It's all about technology and technology is an evolving thing. Yes, there is a problem because according to it everyone has some unwanted elbow flexion. Whether it is 13 degrees or 14 degrees or more, it's up to them to decide. That's why the tests, that's why the changes, to pinpoint such things. This is where they need the technology, to decide what is to be allowed. Now you have decided on 15 degrees. I know I didn't do anything wrong. If you go back to the history of the game then you will see at one time underarm bowling was legal and accepted, now it's not. So it keeps changing. Technology keeps changing what we believe in.
Did you feel hounded during those days, that they were all trying to put you down? Did that make you more determined and gritty?
Yes it did. I believe you can't unfairly keep a man down. His passion will come through, no matter the obstacles. Obstacles will always be there.
Many people feel the doosra cannot be bowled with a legal action.
I have proved it can be bowled. If you are throwing, you cannot make the ball dip. Last year, Shane Warne, Terry Jenner, Ashley Mallett and some others said they would not coach the doosra to young kids. I have spoken to them about this, there is no problem. I believe the doosra cannot be taught to youngsters that easily. It is something you have to develop later, on your own. That's what I did. You cannot coach a doosra.
What prompted you to say Harbhajan could break your record?
Yes, it is logical. He is a very good bowler, the best around. Just look at his wickets. He seems to be struggling in Sri Lanka now. In India, a land which has traditionally produced great spinners, there suddenly seems a dearth. A lot of spinners at the domestic level have also been called for suspect actions. What do you think is going wrong? It's a very tough question. I think they blame me unfairly for creating this culture. I think flat conditions have a lot to do with it. If you are a land of spinners, you should produce spinning wickets. Otherwise the art will disappear... where will all the spinners come from? Why should they bowl spin? But it's tough to answer, one has to go and see first-hand what is happening.
Do you plan to?
Yes, not by myself, but Anil Kumble wants a spin academy and I think I will help out with that, so it will give me an opportunity to see.
What now for Murali? What's the best thing about being the most famous in your country?
I have always belonged to the people. I have my charity work. End of the day I'm just a cricketer. The best part is there is always someone more popular than you - the president of the country!