Congratulations to Murali says Warnie

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 1,000 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.