Murali to be out for five months

Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan had shoulder surgery overnight and will be back to full fitness in five months, the off-spinner’s surgeon David Young said on Tuesday. ‘‘He’ll have his arm in a sling for four weeks and after about three months he will start bowling,” Young said. “He would have a view towards playing in the Test series in New Zealand in January. I think he can be ready for that.

“He would be able to bowl in the nets over in New Zealand during the one-day series and we could monitor his progress for the Tests.”

Young had advised world record Test wicket-taker Muralitharan his future in the game could be under threat if he did not have surgery on his troublesome right shoulder.

New Zealand host a five-match one-day series against Sri Lanka from December 26 to January 8. The first Test starts in Hamilton a week later.