Aussies left with egg on face as abusive thrower targets Murali

Writing in The Times of India on Friday, Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene had commented, "As for off-field controversies, all I have to say is, the more India and Australia have a go at each other, the better it is for us. Our aim is to... concentrate solely on the cricket. Anything else is avoidable."

Jayawardene may have spoken too soon. Muttiah Muralitharan, the universally well-liked - except in Australia - record holder for most Test wickets finds himself embroiled in yet another controversy in a country that has given him plenty of grief.

Murali was subjected to verbal abuse and had eggs hurled at him on Friday night in Hobart as he and some other members of the Lankan contingent were returning to the team hotel from a restaurant. He was reportedly hit on his leg by an egg. As a result, the Lankan board has asked Cricket Australia to tighten security around the team.

Murali has frequently been at the receiving end from Australian umpires and jeering fans. The fact that he broke Aussie spinner Shane Warne’s record certainly won’t have improved his popularity Down Under.

"Muralitharan, along with one of the selectors and the team masseur, was walking when suddenly a car passed them and the guy starts abusing," a cricket website quoted a source close to the team as saying.

"He then came back a few more times and repeated this and suddenly he started throwing eggs in their direction. One landed on the back of the selector."

History of hostility

1995: Australian umpire Darrell Hair no-balls Murali for illegal action seven times in the Boxing Day Test match in Melbourne

1996: No-balled again for throwing by Aussie umpires Ross Emerson and Tony McQuillan in an ODI against West Indies in Brisbane. Crowds chant "no-ball" when he runs up to bowl

1999: Called for throwing by Emerson during an ODI against England. Arjuna Ranataguna briefly leads team off field

2004: Australia's then PM John Howard calls him a chucker. In protest, Murali refuses to join Lankan tour of Australia

2005/06: Agrees to travel Down Under as a thanksgiving gesture for Australia's response to the December 2004 tsunami but taunts continue. One spectator has 'no-ball' painted on his chest at a VB Series game in Perth.

News Source : Samachar