MUMBAI: Amol Muzumdar, who captained Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy last season, will head for Australia tomorrow to undergo a one-month training course at the Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy.

Muzumdar is a special invitee and the middle-order batsman expects to gain in terms of psychological and fitness factors. Sponsored by Bank of Baroda, Muzumdar heads to the academy which has produced such international crickets like Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and the likes.

``I have been coordinating with (former Australian wicket-keeper) Wayne Philips regarding my stint at the Academy,'' he said.

Murali 14 in vain

LONDON: Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan finished on the losing side Friday despite achieving the best bowling figures by a Lancashire player for 35 years.

Seven wickets in each innings in the English championship match against Warwickshire at Southport gave him match figures of 14 for 117. It was the first time he had bowled for his newcounty.

Lancashire fell 20 runs short of the 285 required for victory. It was their third defeat in five matches.

Crisis in Lanka

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan sports minister S B Dissanayake appointed a five-member interim committee to run the affairs of the island's cricket board after asking Arjuna Ranatunga to step down as captain.

The committee headed by Renzie Wijetileke, managing director of Hatton National Bank, includes former skipper Michael Tissera, ex-Test players Siddath Wettimuny, Asantha de Mel and former board secretary Skandha Kumar.The panel will temporarily look after the board affairs as a city court stayed the functioning of the office-bearers after their controversial election was challenged.

-- Agencies