'I'll play in Australia again' - Murali

Muttiah Muralitharan has ended his Australia boycott © Getty Images Enlarge

A year ago Muttiah Muralitharan threatened never to tour Australia again. John Howard, the prime minister, had publicly decided Muralitharan was a chucker, whenever he bowled there were no-ball yells from the stands, and it was the only country where he had been called for throwing.

But the reception Muralitharan received during the World Cricket Tsunami Appeal has changed his mind. "I will come to Australia from now on," Muralitharan told the Sydney Morning Herald. "Before the game it was one of the things I had to decide, whether to come again or not. The whole crowd was very supportive and helped to raise a lot of money that will help people in my country."

Muralitharan, who decided after Howard's comments not to tour Australia last winter because of "personal reasons", met the prime minister after the match and was welcomed to Australia. "We are very happy you are back," Howard told him. Syed Ashraful Huq, the Asian XI manager, said Muralitharan smiled. "The fact Murali was cheered by everybody, he was in a completely different mood after that," Huq said.

Sri Lanka's next scheduled Test tour to Australia is in 2007-08, but Muralitharan should return as part of the World XI in October for a Test match and three one-day games.