McGrath to be let loose in warm-up match

Justin Langer, who was due to captain the Northern Territory Chief Minister's XI against Sri Lanka tomorrow, in the opening match of the tour, promised to give Glenn McGrath a full work out in the match.

Langer hurt his foot during a net session and is now unlikely to play in the match, but he still revealed the Australians' plans to give McGrath a free reign. "Glenn is a superstar and he knows exactly what he needs to do for his preparation," Langer told the Melbourne Age. "The thing that's counted against him over the last 12 months is that consistency of bowling."

He continued, "I've heard it mentioned that Steve Waugh thought he [McGrath] was probably 100 overs short of getting back to his best, so these games, I think, are crucial for him, for this short period and then for maybe the next one or two or three years of his international career."

McGrath has not played in a Test for almost a year due to injuries, and, even though he has been picked to play against the Sri Lankans, he still needs to fully prove his fitness. He recently marked his comeback from injury with a disappointing one-day series against Zimbabwe last month, taking only one wicket in three matches, and in a bid to get more match practice, he will play for Middlesex in the English County Championship for one month later this season.

On the issue of Muttiah Muralitharan's decision not to tour Australia, Langer said: "It's very disappointing for cricket, full stop. He is basically a genius, he's the hardest bowler I've ever faced and regardless of whether we're playing him here or in Sri Lanka, he's one of the stars of international cricket."