When something like this happens, the team pulls much closer together Atapattu on Murali

Captain Marvan Atapattu said: "Any captain would want a player like that in his side but as a team we are going to accept whatever Murali decides."

Murali has said he would avoid the tour because of comments made by Australian Prime Minister John Howard.

Howard is one of many prominent Aussies to have labelled Murali "a chucker".

Speaking to Wisden Cricinfo, Atapattu said: "He is going to consult a couple of people before he makes that decision. I am sure he will take the right decision.

"But if he says he does not want to go, then there will have been more than enough reasons for that."

Howard made his comments in the wake of the International Cricket Council's decision that Muralitharan's new doosra delivery, which spins away from right-handed batsmen, falls foul of its regulations on throwing.

Atapattu said the rest of the Sri Lankan team had also been upset by Howard's comments but decided not to discuss the delivery.

Instead, he said: "Murali is the most important person in the team and a much-loved and respected character.

Feature: How Murali makes the figures do the talking

"But when something like this happens to a team member like Murali, then the result is the team pulls much closer together.

"We have our views but we have decided not to talk about it because that will only lead to more controversy."

Australia whitewashed Sri Lanka 3-0 in the March Test series in the subcontinent and will be expected to do something similar on home soil.

Atapattu also felt the ICC should have cancelled Sri Lanka's recent Test series in Zimbabwe.

Sri Lanka were made to face a Zimbabwe side without 15 leading white rebels, leading to two embarrrassingly one-sided matches.

But when Australia arrived for a similar tour, the Tests were cancelled.