COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s opening batsman Sanath Jayasuriya will retire from all forms of international cricket after the first one-day match of their England tour later this month, he said on Thursday. The 41-year-old all-rounder, who quit Test cricket in 2007, made the announcement after Sri Lanka Cricket recalled him for the T20 and one-day squads to face England. “I called you here to inform (you of) my retirement from all forms of (international) cricket after 20 years of play,” Jayasuriya told reporters in Colombo.
“I’ll retire after playing a one-day and a T20 game,” he said. Sri Lanka face England in a Twenty20 match on June 25 before the first one-dayer at the Oval three days later. “I will continue to play league matches and domestic cricket,” he told Reuters when asked if he would quit all form of cricket.
Jayasuriya, who helped Sri Lanka to their only World Cup triumph in 1996, remains the island nation’s highest run scorer in one-day internationals with 13,428 runs from 444 matches. He is the second highest scorer and the ninth highest wicket-taker in the limited-over game. He has scored 6,973 runs in 110 Test matches, and captured 98 wickets. He was left out of Sri Lanka’s World Cup team early this year due to poor performance.
Jayasuriya was elected as a member of parliament last year for Sri Lanka’s ruling party. “I will serve people in my electorate in future and also I will work for the betterment of cricket,” he said.
FACTBOX
Career
Born June 30, 1969 in Matara, Sri Lanka.
Left-handed opening batsman renowned for his fast scoring, he makes his test debut in February 1991 against New Zealand in Hamilton.
He comes to prominence during the Sri Lanka’s tour of Australia in 1995/96 where he scores an exhilarating 112 in the third test against Australia after being promoted up the order.
He grabs international attention at the 1996 World Cup. Sri Lanka win the competition and he is named player of the tournament.
He scores 340 against India in 1997 at Premadasa International Stadium, Colombo, which was the highest individual test score by a Sri Lankan at the time.
He is named Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1997.
Appointed captain of the national team in 1999 before standing down after the 2003 World Cup.
He retires from Test cricket in 2007 in order to concentrate on the shorter forms of the game.
He was left out of Sri Lanka’s World Cup team early this year due to poor performance.
Jayasuriya was elected as a member of parliament last year for Sri Lanka’s ruling party.
Stats
He is the second highest run scorer in one-day internationals with 13,428 runs from 444 matches.
He is the ninth highest wicket-taker in the limited-over game with 322 wickets.
He has scored 6,973 runs in 110 Test matches, and captured 98 wickets. reuters
Jayasuriya Picture
Jayasuriya Picture
Jayasuriya Picture
Jayasuriya PictureArticle Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/
