Exclusive by Oliver Brett

I already have the world record but I was disappointed on the night Muttiah Muralitharan

Muttiah Muralitharan claims he was left out of the ICC Test Team of the Year because voting members believe he bowls with an illegal action.

Champion Sri Lanka off-spinner Murali took 68 wickets in eight matches during the course of the voting period at an outstanding average of 17.47.

He told BBC Sport: "A few people are not that keen on me because they think I am not bowling properly.

"That's the only reason it can be, but it's disappointing for me."

Murali, who has more Test wickets than any other bowler in history, was named on a shortlist of four for Test Player of the Year.

But the spin-bowling place in the World XI went to Australia's Shane Warne, who only played for half the year after serving a ban and was not on the individual shortlist.

Murali said: "It happens sometimes that people are not favourable towards me but they do not have to judge that - they have to judge how I have performed during the course of the year.

"I am surprised that someone who didn't play for six months did get into the side.

"If you take [Warne's] total career he should be there but if it's about one year's performance he should not because he did not play for six months of that time.

Read more: Warne celebrates 'fairytale' comeback

"I don't need more awards - I already have the world record but I was disappointed on the night.

"The funny part of it is that they nominate me among the best four for the best player of the year but they cannot put me in the team - that's why I think something funny is going on."

Defending the decision, the selection panel chairman Richie Benaud said: "Warne came back and made an immediate impact with 36 wickets in just five games and deserved his place as the first spinner.

"Leading wicket-taker Muralitharan was unlucky."

In April, the ICC ruled that one of Murali's deliveries, the 'doosra' - which spins away from the right-handed batsman - was illegal and asked him to stop using it.

He was not, however, banned from bowling.

Warne made a comeback in March after serving a 12-month ban for using a banned drug at the 2003 World Cup.

He was the first of the pair to reach 500 Test wickets, but Muralitharan overtook and currently has 532 from 91 Tests, compared to Warne's 527 from 112.