'Special' ball is all spin, says Murali

The mystery deepens ... is Muttiah Muralitharan about to torment England's batsmen with a new delivery or will he rely on his old bag of tricks?

Murali, who already has the third highest number of wickets in Test history with 459, has been quoted as saying he now has a "special ball" for every member of England's top order.

But today, on the eve of the three-Test series against Michael Vaughan's team, Sri Lanka's master spinner could hardly have been more modest.

"I haven't given an interview saying I've got a mystery delivery," Murali said. "There is no mystery delivery as such.

"If I've had all these mystery deliveries I would bowl ten balls, take ten wickets and the match would be over!

"I'm enjoying my cricket, I try to bowl well and I can't do any more than that."

England's batsmen have gone some way towards taming Murali in their past two series against Sri Lanka. "People do read you," the the off-spinner said. "That's the challenge for me now - to get better."

Even though England won the series here in 2001 and then beat Sri Lanka again at home last year, Murali has lost none of his confidence, especially as he was carrying injuries during both of those series.

"This time I'm fit and I think maybe this time it's my turn," he added.