01 June 2004	Tuesday	12 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

SYDNEY, May 31: Australian captain Ricky Ponting on Monday urged Muttiah Muralitharan to tour Australia with Sri Lanka in July, saying local cricket fans would welcome him with open arms.

Reports from Colombo over the weekend said the Sri Lankan spin wizard had not changed his mind about quitting the tour after Australian Prime Minister John Howard called him a "chucker", but he was under pressure to do so.

Ponting sent out his appeal to Muralitharan, cricket's greatest wicket-taker, on his return home from an ill-fated Zimbabwe tour. "I'd love to see him here. He's a fantastic player and opponent, and he's a great competitor," Ponting said at Sydney Airport.

Reacting to Ponting's comments, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) spokesman Ray Illangakoon said in Colombo that it was up to Muralitharan to decide whether he would tour Test champions Australia.

"As of this afternoon, the position stands the same," Illangakoon said. "There is this campaign in the media asking him to go to Australia, but there is no change in the position from Murali's side."

Muralitharan recently broke retired West Indian Courtney Walsh's world record of 519 wickets by notching up 527, with Australia's Shane Warne in close pursuit on 517. But the Sri Lankan has been under scrutiny since English match referee Chris Broad reported his suspect action on the doosra, a leg-break delivered with an off-break action, to the International Cricket Council in March.

Ponting said he believed the Australian public would welcome Muralitharan. His presence would certainly add spice to the two-Test winter series with Murali and Warne going head to head.

"I'm sure the Australian public would love to see him here," Ponting said. "Let's hope he tours. It would be a great challenge for us if he does because he's a very, very good bowler." -AFP