Music to Murali's ears, Aussie crowd asked to behave

Sydney, June 29 (UNI) Muttiah Muralitharan's days of heckling by the Aussie crowd may be numbered as Cricket Australia (CA) threatened to impose life ban from venues on spectators who taunt the champion spinner.

Urging the home crowds to treat Muralitharan with respect, CA said, ''Our message to the public will be please treat all the visitors with the respect they deserve.'' Sri Lanka tour Australia in November for a two-Test series before returning in February next year to play a tri-series which will also involve India.

Making it clear that nuisance (of Murali's illtreatment) will not be tolerated in the stadium, it warned that the taunting visitors will be punishments which include ''the possibility of life bans from venues''.

Muralitharan, in pursuit of the world record of highest wicket taker surpasing Shane Warne, has been badger in the past by the Australian crowd.

Following Sri Lanka's thrashing of Bangladesh in the first Test in Colombo yesterday, Muralitharan needs a further 25 wickets to equal Warne's career haul of 708.

He will play two more Tests against Bangladesh before Sri Lanka's Australia tour.

CA expressed the hope Muralitharan would be embraced by the Aussie crowd as was done to England spinner Monty Panesar last summer.

''Last year we had Monty Panesar and we were really pleased that he became a cult figure. With Murali coming back, our ambition would be to achieve the same outcome,'' a CA spokesman was quoted as saying by 'The Age'.

''As Ricky Ponting said, any international cricketer visiting Australia has the right to be treated with respect and in the same manner as Australian players are treated.

That's the bottom line,'' he added.

UNI