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| Tuesday, 15 June 2004 |
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Announces decision today: Murali unlikely to go Down Under By Sa'adi Thawfeeq The world's greatest wicket-taker Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan will bring to an end weeks of speculation about his availability to tour Australia for the upcoming back to back Tests at Darwin and Cairns starting next month. Muralitharan is expected to officially announce his decision to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) today. The champion off-spinner's manager Kushil Gunasekara confirmed yesterday that Muralitharan had already made up his mind and will officially inform SLC about his decision today. "Murali met with SLC officials on Friday and poured out his thoughts about touring Australia. He gave them an indication of what he had in mind," said Gunasekara. Muralitharan is expected to skip the tour for personal reasons and take a well earned rest before commencing a non-stop season of international cricket starting with the Asia Cup at home in July followed by the tour here by South Africa, the ICC Champions trophy in England, and tours to Bangladesh and New Zealand before the end of the year. He was picked in a 16-member squad for the tour to Australia 12 days ago but has been playing his cards close to his chest about his decision to make the tour. The 32-year-old off-spinner became the world record holder for the highest number of Test wickets when he surpassed former West Indian fast bowler Courtney Walsh's record of 519 Test wickets during Sri Lanka's tour to Zimbabwe last month. Muralitharan has 527 wickets from 90 Tests and from the time he broke Walsh's world record in the Harare Test, he has faced severe criticism over his new delivery the 'doosra' from former Test players and including the Prime Minister of Australia who branded him a 'chucker'. It was in Australia that Muralitharan who made his Test debut in 1992 has been twice called for throwing by Australian umpires and heckled by spectators, which made him remark that he would never tour Australia again. He has been reported for his unusual bowling action, which is the result of a bent elbow - a deformity he has since birth. On both occasions he had to undergo scientific tests at laboratories to prove that he was not actually throwing the ball, but which was in fact an optical illusion. In the last Test series against Australia in March, Muralitharan was reported by ICC match referee Chris Broad on his new delivery the 'doosra' which has since the report, been put on hold by the ICC until enough research is done on spin bowlers. Since the lapse of the six-week interim period for the first report last month, Muralitharan has not bowled the delivery but concentrated on his off-breaks and top spin. Sri Lanka Cricket has made a strong case to the ICC to allow Muralitharan to bowl his 'doosra' until such time research has been completed on spin bowlers. The ICC is expected to carry out tests on spin bowlers during the ICC Champions trophy tournament in England in September this year. |
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