Symonds appeals to 'beer drinkers' to not boo Murali

Sydney, July 21 (UNI) With spin magician Muttiah Muralitharan almost certain to break Shane Warne's record of Test wickets when Sri Lanka Tour Down Under, all-rounder Andrew Symonds has urged the ''beer drinkers'' to applaud the record-breaking feat.

''I just hope the beer drinkers in the sun don't give him a hard time and late one afternoon if he breaks the record they start on him,'' Symonds told Australian media.

''I hope that doesn't happen, I hope people can stand up and actually applaud him for what he is, a legend of a game,''he added.

The 35-year-old Sri Lankan became the second player in history to scalp 700 victims in the final Test against Bangladesh in Kandy earlier this month, and now has to take just eight more wickets to equal leg-spinner Warne's record haul of 708 wickets.

Symonds, a former team mate of Muralitharan at English county Lancashire, said it would be rude and embarrassing if the Australian crowds do not applaud his feat, despite him twice being called for throwing on tours there in the 1990s.

Sri Lanka play a two-test series against Australia starting in Brisbane on November 8, but the spin wizard has only played three tests on Australian soil largely due to the throwing controversies.

''Definitely it would be embarrassing for us as a team if they didn't,'' Symonds said.

''We respect him for his skills and for what he has done and I think it would be rude, straight out rude, if they didn't sort of respect him and give him the pat on the back he deserves.'' Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland echoed similar views, saying that Muralitharan's efforts ought to be celebrated.

''Each to their own how they do that, but it has been 700 wickets and whatever it is for breaking Shane's record is a remarkable achievement and well worth celebrating,'' Sutherland said.

He admitted that records were meant to be broken although he would have preferred a fellow Aussie to break Warne's record.

''We would prefer an Australian to hold the record for the most number of wickets but the reality is that records are there to be broken, adding ''I think it's a great opportunity to celebrate the privilege that we have had over the last decade or so to watch two of the greatest bowlers of all time do their stuff.'' The Oz spectators have regularly taunted the off-spinner with shouts of ''no-ball'' and they may feel aggrieved to watch Warne's record fall less than 12 months after his remarkable final series.

He was also called for throwing by match referee Chris Broad after taking 28 wickets in a three-test series on home soil against the Australians in 2004.

UNI