SLC proposes Warne-Murali trophy

Colombo, Oct 31 (UNI) In its bid to ease tension off the field, Sri Lankan cricket board is mooting plans to organise a series called the Warne-Murali trophy to honour two of cricket living legends -- Muthiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board has proposed to their Australian counterpart to play for a series to be called the Warne-Murali trophy, a Sri Lanka Cricket official said.

He said the proposal has already being put forward to Cricket Australia and the response has been favourable.

''We have made a proposal (to play for a trophy in honour of Warne and Muralitharan) and the feed back has been very positive,'' Secretary of the Sri Lanka Cricket, Gangatharan Mathivan told UNI by telephone.

''We will get it in writing in the form of a formal agreement within a week or two,'' Mathivanan said, adding that the maiden Warne-Murali trophy series will commence when the Aussies visit Sri Lanka next time.

The newly proposed tournament is expected to ease the tension and off-the-field rivalry between the two teams and the crowds, which has developed over the past decade since the willy off-spinner was called for throwing by umpire Darrel Hair in the Boxing Day test match in 1995-96.

Muralitharan skipped the last Australian tour made in 2004 after expressing fear that he would be victimised by Aussie crowds.

Muralitharan, touring 'Down Under' probably the last time, is just nine wickets away to go past Warne's record haul of 708 scalps.

Sri Lanka's first test will start from November 8 in Brisbane.

UNI