DARWIN, Australia, 1 July 2004 — Shane Warne’s world record bid is threatening to overshadow the two-Test series between Australia and Sri Lanka starting today.
Australia’s leg spinner Warne has taken 517 wickets, 10 shy of Muttiah Muralitharan’s world mark.
However, the Sri Lanka off spinner has withdrawn from the Australia tour for personal reasons. This has left Warne with an opportunity to carve out his own moment in Test history in the unlikely settings of the tropical northern cities of Darwin and Cairns.
Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu told a news conference yesterday Warne had bowled brilliantly in Sri Lanka, where he took 26 wickets in the three-match series in March.
“That was a dream comeback tour for him (from a 12-month doping ban),” Atapattu said.
“He has troubled most batsmen in world cricket. We normally play spin well. I think if we live up to our reputation, we’ll do well here.”
Atapattu added that Muralitharan’s absence was a massive blow for the team’s attack.
“Obviously it is a bit difficult because Murali has been carrying our bowling. We haven’t played a test match without Murali for a long, long time (July 2002),” he said.
Muralitharan, 32, pulled out of the Australia tour earlier this month following an investigation into his bowling action that prompted Australia Prime Minister John Howard to call him a “chucker”.
ICC Set for Zimbabwe Test Decision
In London, strife-torn Zimbabwe’s immediate future as a Test-playing nation will be decided today, the International Cricket Council (ICC) told AFP here yesterday.
“The executive board meeting is still ongoing and we will make an official announcement tomorrow (Thursday) at Lord’s,” said ICC spokesman Jon Long as cricket’s leading administrators continued to debate a raft of issues at the historic London cricket ground.
It is expected that the ICC will announce a continuing postponement of Zimbabwe’s Test matches.
Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) chairman Peter Chingoka met ICC president Ehsan Mani in Dubai earlier this month to agree that Zimbabwe postpone all their forthcoming Test matches for the rest of 2004.
Zimbabwe only had four Tests scheduled for the remainder of 2004 — two in Pakistan in October and two at home to England in November.
However, the ICC became increasingly concerned at the strength of the Zimbabwean Test team after 15 senior players went on strike following the sacking of captain Heath Streak.
