``I see something phenomenal in the way he spins the ball. There's never been an off-spinner who spins the ball as much as he does. He's doing it for a long time now and he could break all records. He's got 187 wickets already and he could go on to get 400. He's fantastic,'' said Birkenshaw, after watching Muralitharan for four days during Sri Lanka's tour game against Leicestershire which ended here yesterday.
The 26-year-old spinner finished with a match bag of eight wickets for 149 runs to spearhead his country to a nine-wicket win over Leicestershire, their first win of the current tour.
Birkenshaw, who is Leicestershire's coach cum cricket manager since 1990 reckoned that England will have to score runs off Muralitharan if they are to play him successfully in the one-off Test at the Oval beginning on August 27.
``Everyone's struggled against him and I don't expect England to be an exception. If they don't lose wickets to him and take three or four runs an over off him, they can be successful,'' said Birkenshaw, who was a member of Tony Lewis' England team that toured Sri Lanka in 1973.
He was critical of the Sri Lankan seam bowlers on tour and said they needed more discipline in their bowling.
``Watching them bowl today, they looked okay, but their discipline is not as good as you would like. They are not genuine fast bowlers, so their disciplines have got to be very good. Sri Lanka will get a grassy wicket at the Oval and you will need to get Chaminda Vaas to be fit and also another seam bowler,'' said Birkenshaw.
``I've always enjoyed Sri Lanka's batting and their spin bowling. The pitch was not as good as I would have liked, but they played with discipline and care. I like their batting styles. They are all elegant, they use the pace of the ball and they don't go about with all guns blazing at all cost. They got nice touch,'' he said.
Sri Lanka manager Ranjit Fernando said that Vaas may be on his way to England shortly after he plays in a three-day game against South Africa 'A' at home this week. In the event of Vaas coming, one of the spin bowlers in the tour party of 18 players will be sent home. In all probability, it could be left-arm spinner Niroshan Bandaratilake who played in the opening game against Somerset and took one wicket for 79 runs in 16 overs, but has not played since.