Gillespie expects more Murali abuse

Jason Gillespie: "With Murali coming out he always cops a gobful in Australia" © Getty Images

Jason Gillespie says Muttiah Muralitharan may have to "grin and bear" abuse directed at him during Sri Lanka's two-Test tour of Australia. Muralitharan has rejected calls not to play and he arrived with the squad in Adelaide on Wednesday morning.

"I am looking forward to the tour very much," Muralitharan said in the Herald Sun. Muralitharan has been a target of Australian crowds since he was no-balled by Darrell Hair at the MCG in 1995-96 and he will again be a focus as he tries to claim the nine wickets needed to pass Shane Warne's Test record of 708.

"With Murali coming out he always cops a gobful in Australia and he'll be expecting to cop that again," Gillespie said in the Australian. "He might have to grin and bear it. You shouldn't have to but that's often the way it is unfortunately."

Gillespie wondered what would happen if a group of people started yelling unacceptable comments. "Officials are threatening to throw out anyone using racial abuse but if a whole section of the crowd, like the blokes on the hill at Adelaide Oval, start racial abuse are they going to eject the whole hill, all 5000 people? I see where they [the officials] are coming from, they're trying to do the right thing, but I think there are going to be instances."

Reports of racial abuse occurred at Adelaide in 2006 when Sri Lanka were playing in the VB Series. "There have been instances over the years," Gillespie said, "and I don't think it's going to be any different this summer."