Murali seeks medical advice

Muralitharan's injury is a huge setback to Sri Lanka

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Sri Lanka star Muttiah Muralitharan will see specialists in Australia to determine whether he needs surgery on a shoulder injury.

The off-spinner suffered a dislocated shoulder and torn ligaments while fielding in the Sharjah Trophy final against Pakistan on Wednesday.

The time period that Muralitharan will be unavailable for the tour will be ascertained only after he is examined by specialists

Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka

The injury to his non-bowling shoulder casts doubt over his participation in the tour of England, but Sri lanka have refused to rule him out of their squad until he has been examined in Melbourne on Friday.

Sri Lanka will arrive in England on Sunday, but Muralitharan is extremely doubtful for the first Test at Lord's that starts on 16 May.

Two other Tests follow at Edgbaston, starting on 30 May, and at Old Trafford on 13 June before the tri-series one-day tournament, also involving India.

"The time period that Muralitharan will be unavailable for the tour will be ascertained only after he is examined by specialists," said a Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka statement.

Muralithraran was unable to bowl or bat in the Sharjah Trophy final on his 30th birthday as Sri Lanka crashed to a 217-run defeat at the hands of Pakistan.

The incident came about when Murali tripped while fielding and hit the ground clutching his left shoulder.

It happened in the 11th over of the match, with Pakistan recovering after an early setback, as eventual century-maker Yousuf Youhana went for a quick single.

  Murali's career

DOB: 17.4.1972

Test debut: 1992

Tests: 73

Wkts: 412

ODI debut: 1993

ODIs: 187

Wkts: 276

But as Murali turned to throw he suddenly felt his shoulder give way and fell to the ground.

He had to undergo surgery earlier this year after damaging finger ligaments during a home Test against Zimbabwe in Kandy, where he bagged nine wickets in an innings.

Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya admitted after the Sharjah match: "We need Murali back badly for the England series and we hope he will recover soon."

In his last appearance in a Test in England, Murali almost single-handedly won the match, at the Oval in August 1998.

He took 16 wickets in the match, with the home side ultimately crumbling to his canny variations despite initially dominating.