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Warne 'moved' by devastation
08/02/2005 16:38 - (SA)
Colombo - Australian leg spinner and the world's top Test wicket taker Shane Warne said on Tuesday that he was moved by the tsunami devastation and wanted to come to Sri Lanka to see what help he can provide.
"I saw the pictures and we read the papers, about the tsunami and what actually happened. It really did touch a cord with me and I wanted to come over here and help," Warne was quoted as saying by SNTV after he arrived in Colombo on a three-day visit.
Warne said the Galle cricket stadium which was devastated by the December 26 tsunami was special to him.
"It was my comeback Test match, my 500th wicket there - a pretty special moment for me. So, when I saw those pictures, I wanted to help," Warne said.
Warne is putting aside his spin rivalry with Sri Lanka's Muthiah Muralitharan to provide aid to victims of the tsunami.
Warne will join Muralitharan during a visit to Galle in southern Sri Lanka on Wednesday to see where he can direct funding from his charity for the rebuilding program.
Underprivileged children
Warne and Muralitharan, longtime rivals on the cricket field, have exchanged the record for most wickets in Test cricket over the last 12 months.
Warne leads the standings with 566 wickets from 120 Test matches, while Muralitharan is second on the all-time list with 532 wickets from 91 matches for Sri Lanka.
The Shane Warne Foundation usually raises money for underprivileged children in Australia, but Warne said he wanted to channel funds into the tsunami relief effort in Sri Lanka.
This "tragedy has thrown us together and no doubt it has brought us closer," Warne, writing in a column for Sydney's Daily Telegraph, said of his friendship with Muralitharan.
"I just want to help. Our head-to-head battle for the world Test wickets records is a terrific joust on the sporting field, but on this issue I'm proud for us to be brothers in arms for such a cause."
Warne is planning to return to Australia in time for a weekend domestic limited-overs match for his Victoria state lineup.
The official death toll from the December 26 tsunami ranges from 162 000 to 178 000, with Sri Lanka's toll estimated at between 30 974-38 195.
- AP
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