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by Sa'adi Thawfeeq reporting from England

BIRMINGHAM, Tuesday - Sri Lanka coach Dav Whatmore said he was keen to play champion off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan in the second cricket Test against England beginning at Edgbaston here on Thursday, but skipper Sanath Jayasuriya was however wary of exposing his trump card too early from injury.

"Ideally we like to play everyone who is 100 percent fit. But there are occasions that can come up when players can do more than a decent job when they are not 100 percent fit, as long as everyone knows the boundaries and limitations," said Whatmore today as his team was confined to indoor net sessions here because of bad weather. "In certain instances the risks are greater. In special sort of circumstances, the likes of which exists with Murali at the moment. That full 100 percent effort that he generally generates on the ball when he delivers, to me is as I see it, is not 100 percent. But the ball behaves abnormally and will still cause some problems," he said.

"There are a number of angles you have to consider before a decision is made. You've got to understand what he can and what he can't do basically with the bat and in the field. You can see what he can do at the nets because he is performing the skills. But in terms of his fielding you know what he is like. He's got no regard for his body at times. In his batting, he has to lift the bat with the left hand. There are a few things to cover before a decision is made," Whatmore said.

Whatmore said that Muralitharan has been bowling in the nets today as he has been over the past four to five days.

"He is showing that he can run up and bowl and he's still got a few tricks as you see the different varieties of deliveries that he's got. He is not 100 percent fit, but he is building up to that and if he is selected in this Test match, it will be a calculated decision the selectors will have to take," said Whatmore.

Skipper Jayasuriya said: "It all depends on how Murali feels. We don't know what his injury is like and what pains he is going through. We want him to play. As a captain I would love to play Murali, but if something happens to him, he will be out for another 3-4 months. We can't take that chance".

"I would rate Murali's chances of playing as still 50-50. He is still working hard with Alex (Kountouri). It all depends on what the doctors have told Alex and how he improves in his physical therapy. Murali hasn't bowled for the last eight weeks and he needs a lot of practice also. Alex and Murali will have to talk with each other and decide. We can't come to a conclusion at the moment. We will be knowing by tomorrow evening whether he will be playing or not. It is very unlikely, but you know," said Jayasuriya.

Muralitharan (30) has not bowled in a match since he injured his left shoulder while fielding in the Sharjah Cup final against Pakistan at Sharjah six weeks ago. He underwent treatment in Australia under the supervision of Dr. David Young and joined the Sri Lanka team in England a week ago. Since then he has got the sling which held his injured arm in place removed and has been working on his arm with Kountouri to try and regain full fitness. 

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