Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan will have surgery on a career-threatening shoulder injury on Monday and is expected to be out of cricket for four months, his Melbourne surgeon David Young said on Saturday.

World record Test wicket-taker Muralitharan has a type of cyst which has caused a build-up of fluid around the nerves in his right shoulder, Young said.

"We've advised him to have the surgery otherwise if it gets worse it could threaten his career," Young said.

The 32-year-old Muralitharan has taken 532 wickets, five more than Australia leg spinner Shane Warne.

The 34-year-old Warne had drawn level with the Sri Lankan on 527 last month when Australia hosted Sri Lanka in a two-Test series.

Muralitharan told reporters on Saturday: "Nothing is a certainty in life.

"I think other people have to have a share. Shane Warne is a wonderful bowler and he should also have the record."

Warne, who completed a 12-month doping ban in February, will have his chance to claim the record outright during Australia's four-Test tour of India in October.

Australia will then host two Tests against New Zealand and three against Pakistan.

Muralitharan pulled out of the second and final Test against South Africa, which began in Colombo earlier this week, and will miss the ICC Champions Trophy one-day tournament in England next month and probably Sri Lanka's tour of New Zealand in December.

Muralitharan, who has previously been called for throwing during tours of Australia but has since had his action cleared by officials, has 532 wickets from 91 Tests. Warne has taken 112 matches to reach his 527 wickets.