Muralitharan injured; may
miss England tour

Sri Lanka's ace spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was rushed to hospital with a suspected dislocated shoulder on Wednesday raising doubts of his availability for next month's tour of England.

The off-spinner, celebrating his 30th birthday, tripped while fielding during the Sharjah Cup final against Pakistan and hit the ground clutching his left shoulder.

Team physiotherapist Alex Kontouri led Muralitharan off the field before an ambulance drove him to a local hospital for further treatment.

It was not immediately clear how serious the injury was, but a team source indicated he may need immediate surgery.

"The shoulder appears to be dislocated and there may also be torn ligaments which could require surgery," the source said. "We are awaiting word from the hospital."

Mulitharan, who has 412 wickets from 73 Tests, was expected to be one of Sri Lanka's star performers for the three Tests against England, starting in mid-May.

Mail Cricket Editor