SYDNEY, Feb 3: Sri Lanka on Sunday said it has asked Cricket Australia for beefed up security in the aftermath of an egg attack on its touring cricketers and officials in Hobart, Tasmania.

Sri Lankan team manager Shriyan Samararatne confirmed the incident happened on Thursday night and said an egg thrown from a passing car hit one of the Sri Lankan selectors.

But Samararatne denied reports the egg had struck off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan in the face.

“A group of four was walking from a restaurant to the team hotel and an egg was thrown at them from a car but I am not sure if they recognised Murali,” Samararatne told reporters on Sunday.

“I don’t know the exact motive. I doubt whether they recognised Murali but unfortunately he was there.

“We told Cricket Australia about it and they were very upset.”

Samararatne said because the vehicle was travelling at speed at night it was difficult to be certain that Muralitharan had been targeted.

SLC Secretary Kangadaran Mathivanan told AFP: “The crowd even hurled some objects as they surrounded the team cars. Police were brought in and the team management helped guide the players to the safety of their hotel rooms. We have sent an e-mail to Cricket Australia asking them to beef up security around our players on and off the field.”

He said the Australian authorities had apologised for the incident.

Sri Lanka open their tri-series campaign against India in Brisbane on Tuesday.—AFP