Muttiah Muralitharan, shaking off another attack on his bowling credibility, predicts he and Shane Warne will leapfrog each other for the wicket-taking world record over the next few weeks until people get sick of it.

Warne could break Courtney Walsh's world record of 519 wickets during the third cricket Test against Sri Lanka here this week.

He has 511 scalps and needs another nine to set a new mark. Murali, who has 506 wickets, needs an improbable 14 in this Test match.

But if Warne missed the record, Murali will have a strong chance to get there first when Sri Lanka tours Zimbabwe.

Asked if Warne could set the world record at the Sinhalese Sports Club, Murali said: "If he bowls well, definitely".

But with both teams travelling to Zimbabwe - Sri Lanka later this month and Australia in May - Muralitharan said the record could change hands a few more times yet.

"We will reach the world record, he might do it here or in Zimbabwe.

"If I do it before him, he will beat me again as he then will go to Zimbabwe.

"So it will be up and down."

While the record is on everybody's lips at the moment, Murali said it would soon get boring.

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