09 October 2004	Saturday	23 Shaban 1425

TORONTO, Oct 8: Declining to offer any comment on his country's defeat against Pakistan in Karachi last Wednesday, the Sri Lankan legendary spinner Muttiah Muralitharan says he is focusing attention on his international commitments , including challenging task in English County Championship.

"If all goes well, I will play for Lancashire next summer," said the Sri Lankan who had a successful shoulder surgery recently. The 32-year-old off-spinner confirmed that he will be available for the first half of the season due to his international commitments.

"I have fully recovered from shoulder injury and hopefully I will be back in action soon," Muralitharan told Dawn on Friday. The spin king is currently visiting Canadian cities, including Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal to raise funds for his Muralitharan Gunasekera Foundation which is helping Sri Lanka's poor villagers. His weeklong tour will wind up with a grand fund raising dinner in Toronto on Sunday.

Muralitharan missed the current Pakistani tour because of shoulder injury. Asked that his absence might have been felt in Karachi where Sri Lanka slumped to an eight-wicket defeat in the triangular series, he said: "I would not make any comment on that."

To another question that The Time magazine has named him among the 20 Asian heroes under the age of 40, the Sri Lankan said: "I'm delighted to hear this." Muralitharan is the leading wicket taker in Test match history with 532 victims from 91 matches at an average of 22.86 with a best of 9-51.