Cricket: Warne sends congratulations to Murali

SYDNEY - Australian Shane Warne joined in the congratulations to Muttiah Muralitharan after the Sri Lankan off-spinner knocked him off the top of the list of test cricket's leading wicket-takers.

Muralitharan claimed his 709th victim in the first test against England on Monday, jumping ahead of the leg-spinner who retired from test cricket this year.

"Congratulations to Murali - he's been a wonderful player for a long period of time," Warne said in a Cricket Australia statement.

"He's an excellent competitor and has been great for Sri Lankan cricket. He's a great bloke too."

Warne and Muralitharan, long-time rivals on the field, met up again last month when Australia and Sri Lanka played a test series for the new Warne-Muralitharan Trophy.

"I've been to Sri Lanka to help him after the tsunami and we now even have a trophy named after the two of us," Warne said. "He'll probably go on and get 1000 now but today I'd just like to say `well done on the record'."

Warne overtook Muralitharan at the top of the all-time list in 2004 and surged ahead of the Sri Lankan before his retirement in January after 145 tests. Muralitharan claimed the record again in his 116th test.

- REUTERS