COLOMBO, April 18: Injured off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan will consult a specialist in Australia to decide if he needs surgery to his damaged left shoulder, the Sri Lankan cricket board said Thursday.

Muralitharan suffered a slight dislocation and torn ligaments while fielding against Pakistan in the Sharjah Cup final Wednesday.

The injury to his non-bowling arm has left his participation in the first Test with England next month in doubt. Sri Lanka are due to play three Tests in England as well as taking part in a one-day tournament.

“The time period that Muralitharan will be unavailable for the tour will be ascertained only after he is examined by specialists,” the board said in statement.

Muralitharan, who turned 30 Wednesday, will travel to Melbourne for the consultation. The first Test against England starts on May 16 at Lord’s.

The Sri Lankan has been the world’s must successful spinner for the past couple of seasons, taking 80 wickets in 12 Tests in 2001. He currently boasts 412 Test wickets overall, just behind Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne’s total of 450.—Reuters