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Champions joke and chat at trophy unveiling

Warne and Murali make up

Cricinfo staff

November 15, 2007

Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne pose with the trophy named after them © Getty Images

Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan called their war of words in the media a "miscommunication" as they unveiled the new trophy that bears their names. Tensions between the pair had risen after Muralitharan called Warne a "miserable man" following Warne's comment that Muralitharan should have his bowling action analysed during a Test.

But they came together in Hobart to launch the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy, which will be the prize in Australia-Sri Lanka Test series beginning with the current tour. "There is no issue at all," Muralitharan told AAP

"I thought he said something about my bowling action and then I said he was a miserable man. We just talked to each other and patched it up. It was a miscommunication more than anything else."

Warne said he and Muralitharan were good friends. "I spoke to Murali about it this morning so I'm pretty happy actually, I'm not that miserable," Warne said. "I've got absolutely no issue with Murali and his action or anything like that.

"All I've said in my column that I wrote was that commonsense should prevail. If umpires or anybody has any issue with actions - I'm not saying Murali's but anyone's in world cricket - then they should be tested in match conditions."

In his angry response to Warne's column Muralitharan had said that perhaps Warne was upset he was about to lose his record of 708 Test wickets to Muralitharan. "I've enjoyed having [the record]," Warne said. "I'm happy to pass it on to Murali. I think he'll take a thousand."

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