Kandy, Aug, 25 :    Kandy, Aug, 25:  The chucking controversy is a thing of the past and, today, Muttiah Muralidharan is the most successful off-spinner in cricket history. Yet, he remains unassuming, though he is given to mood swings. One Australian umpire, in particular, may not think much of Murali, but this fiercely competitive Sri Lankan does have legions of admirers. In fact, he is among the most sought after Lankans and it's quite a task managing a one-on-one with him. Murali, though, spoke to The Telegraph the other evening - exclusively on the spinners he admires and the characteristics that go into the making of a quality off-spinner. The following are excerpts On what makes a quality off-spinner Chiefly, the ability to introduce the odd variation. Nowadays, specially, the spinners aren't strictly of the orthodox type and, so, some variation has to be there. Then, the basics of bowling, not just spin bowling, must be clear. In other words, the off-spinner in question should consistently bowl a good line and length. On the off-spinner he idolised Look, there was no live telecast when I was growing up and, so, there was no exposure for me to benefit from. Moreover, in school (St Anthony's, Kandy), I began as a medium-pacer but switched to off-spin after the coach (Sunil Fernando) insisted I didn't have the build to bowl fast. That, then, was how I started off-spin. It's not that I was influenced after seeing some big name bowl. On the spinners he respects/admires most Shane Warne: It will be an understatement to say I enjoy seeing him bowl... Despite being a wrist-spinner, Shane is so accurate. I find this remarkable... Then, he has the variations. If I may add, it's easier to bowl off-spin, as opposed to leg-spin. Mushtaq Ahmed: He unleashed a great googly, which batsmen found difficult to pick... Sadly, because of Pakistan's dependence on quicks, I don't think (at his peak) he got the opportunities he really deserved. Anil Kumble: The ultimate, perhaps, in accuracy. Being accurate is his forte and that one quality alone has made him a great leg-spinner. Saqlain Mushtaq: He may not get exceptional turn, but he has a good away-ball and, whatever the situation, is always a fierce competitor. Daniel Vettori: I feel he is highly underrated but, as he is young, he has age on his side and I expect him to do better in years to come. It hasn't helped, of course, that he has had injuries. [Murali also talked of Abdul Qadir, someone he never played against but who, in Arjuna Ranatunga's opinion, was often more difficult to tackle than even Warne. Murali values the former Lankan captain's views highly.] On Harbhajan Singh Very promising, but let us first see him over a period of time. He shouldn't be judged on his performance in just a couple of series. In any case, spinners mature gradually. Finally, his advice to aspiring off-spinners (Smiles) Don't put yourself under pressure... In fact, don't even allow others to weigh you down with expectations. Bottomline, then, is to enjoy whatever you do. At the same time, enjoyment doesn't mean you don't go the distance and, instead, attempt shortcuts. That, please understand, will never work.