Muralidharan adds a new spin

Colombo: Muttiah Muralidharan will travel to Sydney next month to promote cricket during Sri Lanka’s tour of Australia, despite refusing to play in the Test series.

The record-breaking off-spinner named in the Sri Lankan squad but elected to not play in the two Tests in Darwin and Cairns citing personal reasons.

Muralidharan’s decision to pull out of the tour was prompted by Australian Prime Minister John Howard’s statement describing him as a ‘chucker’.

The Daily News on Monday quoted Muralidharan’s manager, Kushil Gunasekara, as saying that the bowler will join his Australian rival Shane Warne in Sydney to sign 350 special photographs marking the tour.

Muralidharan and Warne have both surpassed the milestone of 500 Test wickets, although the Sri Lankan holds the world record with 527.

“He has to go there before July 10 and sign a photograph projecting him and Warne as the spin twins in the 500-wicket club.

“It is a promotional thing which is normally done in Australia during a Test series,” Gunasekara said.

Muralidharan achieved the world record in 90 Tests.

Warne who has played 20 Tests more trails him by ten wickets.