The two most successful bowlers in Test cricket history, Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan, have today denied there is any rift between them.

Muralitharan, the Sri Lankan spinner, had referred to his Australian counterpart as “a miserable, sad man”.

However, the only two players to have taken more than 700 Test wickets were complimentary of one another in Hobart as they unveiled the new Warne-Muralitharan Trophy, which will be awarded to the winner of Test series between their two countries.

Murali explained he made his comments because he mistakenly understood that Warne had cast doubts on his bowling action in a newspaper column. “I thought he said something about my action and I said he was a miserable, sad man - but we just talked to each other and we patched it up,” he said. “It was a mis-communication more than anything else.”

Warne made it clear he did not question Muralitharan's action, which has been under scrutiny throughout a career in which he has so far taken 702 Test wickets - just six short of the retired Warne’s record of 708.

“I have got no issue with Murali or his action or anything like that,” Warne said. “All I said in my column that I wrote was that common sense should prevail in that if anybody has an issue with an action - and I am not saying Murali, but anybody in world cricket - then they should be tested in match conditions.”

Warne added that he was honoured to have his name alongside Muralitharan's on the new trophy.

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