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Murali Confirms Top End Withdrawal

Wednesday, June 16 2004

Australia's Test series against Sri Lanka has lost its main draw card as Test world record holder Muttiah Muralitharan confirmed that he would take no part in the winter series in Cairns and Darwin.

For a number of months Murali - who hold the world record for most Test match wickets with 527 - was listed as an unlikely tourist to Australia following a controversial relationship with the country. The country backdrops as the scene of his dramatic no-balling in Test and ODI cricket and combined with consistent crowd heckling and a number of niggling injuries, Murali has not played a match in Australia since just prior to the Cricket World Cup in 1999.

It is believed the final straw in the off-spinners decision was the intervention of Australian Prime Minister John Howard branding Murali a chucker following a series of Tests on his controversial bowling action at the University of Western Australia. It was there that his complex 'doosra' delivery was deemed illegal.

With fellow spinners Rangana Herath and Upul Chandana already included in Sri Lanka's 16-man squad a replacement player seems unlikely.

The new format of winter Test matches in Australia will be severely tested by the withdrawal of the Sri Lankan star as crowds in Cairns and Darwin are sure to express their disappointment at the withdraw of the key player. Alongside the injury to Shane Warne who may miss the series with a broken hand, the format faces losing its two greatest crowd pleasers with the ball.

Following their tour, Sri Lanka face an exhausting schedule for the remainder of 2004.

Posted by Andre