Muttiah Muralitharan will use negative comments from Australian crowds to spur him on to break Shane Warne’s record for Test wickets, according to his manager Kushil Gunasekera.
The 35-year-old off-spinner is eight wickets short of Warne’s record of 708 scalps, and looks likely to pass the mark when Sri Lanka face Australia in Tests in Brisbane and Hobart in November.
Murali has twice been called for throwing against Australia, earning him some abuse from the Aussie fans, but Gunasekera believes his man is more than capable of handling the pressure.
“He is comfortable with what Australia is like,” he told the Melbourne Herald Sun.
“He understands the harassment given by spectators will only make him more inspired and motivated. It will help him bowl better.
“He is happy to be taking on that challenge because Australia is a real test. He will come to Australia.”
Muralitharan was first called for throwing by umpire Darrell Hair in the Boxing Day Test match against Australia at Melbourne in 1995.
This was followed nine years later by match referee Chris Broad reporting him for a suspect action after he took 28 wickets in a three-Test series on home soil against the Australians.
