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| Monday, 21 June 2004 |
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Murali for Australia? by Sa'adi Thawfeeq World record holder Muttiah Muralitharan who pulled out of Sri Lanka's cricket tour to Australia last week may visit that country after all. Muralitharan is scheduled to travel to Sydney where with Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne he is expected to sign a collector's edition of 350 photographs depicting the two spinners who reached the milestone of 500 Test wickets. Both bowlers achieved the feat in one and the same series when Sri Lanka and Australia met in a three-Test series in Sri Lanka in March. Warne reached the mark in the first Test at Galle and Muralitharan followed him in the second Test at Kandy - his hometown. Muralitharan's manager Kushil Gunasekera confirmed that the spin wizard will be going to Australia but said that no dates had been fixed yet. "He has to go there before July 10 and sign a photograph projecting him and Warne as the spin twins of the 500-wicket club. It is a promotional thing which is normally done in Australia during a Test series," said Gunasekara. Muralitharan who was picked to tour Australia for the two Tests at Darwin and Cairns next month, pulled out due to personal reasons after Australian Prime Minister John Howard called him a 'chucker'. But Muralitharan said that although he would not change his mind on touring Australia at present he harboured no hatred towards them and was willing to go there in the future. The 32-year-old spinner holds the world record for the highest number of Test wickets with 527 wickets from 90 Tests. Warne who has played 20 Tests more trails him by 10 wickets. In lighter vein When Muttiah Muralitharan ran into Australia's High Commissioner in Sri Lanka David Binns at the reception hosted on his behalf by Tamil Union at Colombo Plaza last Thursday, he requested him for a visa to go to Australia. The High Commissioner rather taken aback at first recovered quickly to reply that he was delighted and went onto add that he would gladly give him one and even waive off the visa fees. The two were later seen in cordial conversation. Muralitharan is anyway due to make a visit to Australia. Not to play cricket but for a different purpose. |
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