Murali enters final stage of his career

Muttiah Muralitharan, Sri Lanka's star offspinner, set to become the highest wicket-taker in Test history during the next two years, believes he has entered the final phase of his career.

Although now just 30 years old, Murali has concerns over his future. His unique action - a source of controversy and wonder - places a heavy burden upon his body and injuries are becoming more frequent.

Alex Kontouri, Sri Lanka's physio during the past seven years, who has now stepped down, is also concerned about Murali's fitness, describing his body recently as a "bio-mechanical mess" and urging that he be managed very carefully over the coming years.

Certainly, 2002 was a difficult year for the offspinner. He dislocated his shoulder during the Sharjah Cup, missing the first chunk of Sri Lanka's tour to England, was forced to have a hernia operation in November and was then plagued by a torn quadracep and a niggling groin.

Because of this, Murali is no longer that ambitious about his future. Where once he talked openly about being the first man to reach the 600-wicket mark in Tests, he now says he is taking it "match by match."

Prior to the World Cup, he hinted at a retirement from one-day cricket, agreeing with Shane Warne that it placed too great a burden upon the body. However, he now has his sights set on the 2007 World Cup. That, though, may be the end of the road.

"I would like to play in the 2007 World Cup and then quit both forms of the game after that," he told Wisden CricInfo. "Plans can change but that is what I am thinking now."

To prolong his career to 2007, he feels it may be necessary to pick and choose his one-day tournaments carefully to lighten the physical strain.

"I think I may have to consider playing just the major tournaments," he says, although he points out that such a move would have to be sanctioned by the selectors and the cricket board.

All this does not mean that has stopped working on his bowling. On the contrary, he believes that he can still improve and he's currently working on new variations.

"The flipper that I have been working on might take some time," he says. "It is a very hard ball to master and I have not yet bowled it in a match. I am also working on other variations, like getting closer to the wicket which helps me curve the ball in the air."

In the batting department, he scoffs at the suggestion of a Test match century, saying, "You have to be realistic", but admits, "A couple more fifties would be nice."

And what about the captaincy, does he have any ambitions? "I am very happy being just a player. In fact, I think captaincy ambitions can be dangerous for the team. It is not something you should go after - if it comes you take it, that's all."

Indeed, Murali, despite being an individual star, has always been a team player. No one wants Sri Lanka to win more desperately and he has strong views on what must be done to make Sri Lanka a consistent international force, at home and away.

"We still have to learn a lot," he says. "We must improve our youngsters but our domestic structure is too weak. There is too little competition and pressure - we need a really strong domestic cup."

"Expectations are very high now but we have to be realistic. We cannot win all the time as long as we rely on a handful of players to win matches. Everyone must contribute."