Brisbane: Sri Lankan spinner Muthiah Muralitharan says he holds no grudges with Australian cricket umpires and doesn't expect to be called for throwing here again.

Muralitharan is convinced there should no longer be a question mark over his bowling action.

The 30-year-old hasn't played in Australia since he was called for throwing in 1995- 96 and 1998-99, recovering from the setback to move into third place on the list of Test cricket's most successful bowlers.

Muralitharan, who recently underwent hernia surgery, hopes to return against Australia in Sydney on January 9 and he doesn't expect any trouble from local umpires.

"It doesn't matter as long as everything is done right for me. They can't question me anymore, in my mind, because it's gone," Muralitharan said on Thursday .

"It's all past. I never thought about not coming to Australia. I always wanted to play here."

Sri Lankan officials said they had no problem with Australian umpires, especially Darrell Hair, who first called Muralitharan for throwing during the Melbourne Boxing Day Test in 1995.

"What has happened has happened and we want to focus on the games in hand and not think about what has happened in the past," tour manager Ajit Jayasekera said.

Coach Dav Whatmore predicted Muralitharan was becoming a more potent bowler and warned he was developing a new delivery which could make him even more successful.

But Muralitharan played down talk of the new ball - roughly an off spinner's version of the flipper - because of his recent injury problems.

"I'm working on that but I haven't played for a long time so I don't know what will happen. You've got to keep on trying and maybe for the future," he said.

"I'm trying hard to bowl new balls and it might work or it might not work. "It's too early (to use in February's World Cup) - you have to perfect it or else you go for runs."

Australia's champion leg spinner Shane Warne believes Muralitharan is capable of setting records which could take decades to break, even predicting the Sri Lankan was capable of taking 1,000 Test wickets.

But Muralitharan, whose 437 wickets places him behind only Warne (491) and Courtney Walsh (519), has not set his personal goals above 600 wickets. "It's possible as long as you're fit and I would like to play for another five years," he said.

"If I can play another 40 Tests and average five a match - that's 200 wickets. I would like to play until the next World Cup."

But Whatmore said Muralitharan's future depended on his ability to stay free of the injuries which have dogged him this year. "He's got no regard for his body sometimes the way he throws it around the field," Whatmore said.

"He will need to be a little bit careful from the fitness side of things but his skill level is getting better and better. Years ago you wouldn't say that anyone would fear an off spinner. A lot of teams do now."

Copyright AFP 2001

Extras:
Hollioake may get Eng recall for repatriated Flintoff
Aussies keenly await pay back vs Lanka on fast tracks