A passenger at the Bandaranike International Airline, Katunayake, has commended former cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan's humility when the latter politely declined preferential treatment at the airport.

"He had flown down from India and was taking pictures with everyone who asked for one, while waiting. His wife Madhi Malar was by his side chatting with people she had never met in her life, " the passenger wrote in a Facebook post.

"I was right behind them. The staff asked him to step out of the line so they can get him cleared quickly and he could have been on his way home in a few minutes. But he politely declined the offer and waited in line for almost an hour with the rest of us. I didn’t want to trouble him for a picture because I felt like he could have been really tired. They were both so very humble and sweet, " he also said.