COOLUM (Australia), Aug 28: Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting on Tuesday asked local crowds to show Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan due respect if he breaks Shane Warne’s Test wicket record.

Muralitharan needs just nine more wickets to break the world mark of 708 Test dismissals, which could happen during Sri Lanka’s two Tests in Brisbane and Hobart in November.

“He (Muralitharan) has had his fair share of ups and downs in Australia in recent years, but being the champion bowler that he has been, if he happens to break the world record in Australia, I hope he is shown the respect he deserves,” Ponting said.

The Sri Lankan’s bowling action has proved controversial and he has long endured a torrid time from Australian crowds, refusing to tour at one point after suffering chants of ‘no ball’ from some sections whenever he bowled.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard has even weighed into the debate, saying publicly he did not think Muralitharan’s bowling action was legal.

Ponting said the Australian players were determined to prevent Muralitharan breaking Warne’s record – set in Melbourne in December last year – on Australian soil.

That would go a long way to winning the series, he said.

“In the last series in Sri Lanka he took a lot of wickets but he got a lot of our tail-enders out,” Ponting said. “He’s actually come out in public and said we play him better than any other team in the world, and I think the stats probably back that up.”

The Australian skipper also weighed into the debate comparing Muralitharan with Warne, saying” “When you add everything up, Murali’s certainly been a great bowler, but Warney should be remembered as the greatest bowler of all time.”

Warne’s replacement in the Australian team, Stuart MacGill, said Muralitharan should not expect any favours from Australian crowds.

“One thing that sportsmen need to get over is that the spectators owe them anything,” MacGill said. “I think sometimes we can be a little bit fragile. It (crowd taunting) is not personal. We are never going to see him again – it doesn’t really matter.”

Ponting and MacGill were speaking at a training camp for the Australian team ahead of the upcoming season, which starts with the Twenty20 World Championship. —AFP