Murali to undergo immediate surgery

Muttiah Muralitharan needs immediate shoulder surgery and is now a serious injury concern for Sri Lanka's forthcoming tour of New Zealand in April. Murali will be operated on in Australia during the next 24 to 48 hours.

The news is a major blow for Murali, who was looking forward returning to Test cricket after a five-month layoff following surgery in August. On that occasion a cyst that was aggravating nerve joints was drained and the shoulder joint was cleaned up.

Murali had not planned on further surgery but decided to travel to Melbourne to visit Dr. David Young, Sri Lanka Cricket's surgeon, after experiencing unexpectedly severe pain in his shoulder while bowling against New Zealand for a FICA World XI.

A shoulder scan revealed tendon damage which Young concluded needed urgent attention. Further clean-up work will be carried out to try and ensure that his shoulder does not suffer any serious long-term damage.

"Murali travelled to Melbourne because the shoulder was painful," said Kushil Gunasekera, Murali's manager. "Dr Young has recommended surgery, which he will have today or tomorrow."

The initial pre-surgery prognosis is that Murali will be out for another 8 to 10 weeks assuming everything goes to plan. This news will be unsettling for Lancashire who had been looking forward to him spearheading their attack during the first half of 2005.