One of the "special and surprise" gifts to Muttiah Muralidharan upon his retirement from Tests will be a very precious gold plaque worth Rs. 2.5 million from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).

 "It will be presented to Murali by president, Mahinda Rajapaksa on the last day of the current Galle Test match", the source added.

"Muralidharan has been very close to the president, who has assured his presence during the prize distribution ceremony of the Galle Test which is the legendary bowler's farewell Test", the source further added.

"There will also be a few more gifts from the individuals. The people of Galle (Southern province) have decided to present Murali a special gift made from gold", the source added. An elephant carved from ivory, laced with solid 18-carat gold and studded with precious gems, will also be gifted to Muralitharan.

The special gold plaque has been prepared by Vogue Jewellers (VJ), one of the leading bridal jewellery establishments in Colombo.

Nandu Perrera, one of the eight directors and Indira Hettirachchi, one of the several managers of Vogue Jewellers confirmed that they manufactured a specially designed plaque for Muralidharan. "We cannot divulge the details regarding weight and cost of the plaque or about the exclusive design on the plaque", they however said.

Source: Daily Mirror Online