Muralitharan spent time debating whether to tour Australia

He had threatened to boycott the two-Test tour when Aussie prime minister John Howard joined the debate.

"I have been defamed, pilloried and severely criticized by the world's cricket media," said Muralitharan.

"Even the Prime Minister of Australia, has called me a chucker and then in the next sentence says I will be welcome to tour his country!"

In a statement released by Sri Lanka cricket he added: "My action is unorthodox. It is however wrong for people to label me a 'chucker' based solely on what they see with the naked eye.

"What such people perceive as a 'throw' is an 'optical illusion', a fact proven by the tests carried out on my bowling action over the years."

Muralitharan holds the world record for Test wickets with 527 in 90 matches.

But his doosra delivery has been banned by the International Cricket Council after he was reported by match referee Chris Broad following a home series against Australia in March.

The brilliant off-spinner has few happy memories of Australia, having twice previously been embroiled on previous tours.

Tour dates: Full schedule for Australia v Sri Lanka

He was called for throwing during a Test match in 1995 by umpire Darrell Hair.

And when Ross Emerson made the same call during a one-day game on Sri Lanka's 1998-99 tour, it prompted then captain Arjuna Ranatunga to lead his players off the field in protest.

Sri Lanka's 16-man squad includes a new face in 20-year-old right-arm seamer Lasith Malinga.

Saman Jayantha and Nuwan Kulasekara are among those to miss out.

Sri Lanka will play a warm-up game a Northern Territory Chief Minister's XI on 24 June, prior to Test matches in Darwin and Cairns.

They are Australia's newest Test venues, having staged their inaugural international fixtures last year.