KANDY: Ending all speculation, Sri Lankan star batsman Sanath Jayasuriya December 3 announced his retirement from Test cricket after the ongoing match against England being played here.
The 38-year-old left-hander, considered one of the most destructive batsmen in contemoporary cricket, decided to call it quits in the traditional form of the game but will continue to don national colours in the one-day internationals.
Jayasuriya, who is currently Sri Lanka's highest scorer in both Tests and ODIs, made his last Test a memorable one by scoring a brilliant 78 December 2. "Sanath has decided to retire from Test matches," Sri Lanka Cricket media manager Samantha Algama told the media.
SLC Secretary K Mathivanan told PTI that "Jayasuriya will continue to play one-day cricket." Jayasuriya made his one-day debut against Australia in Melbourne on December 26, 1989 and played his first Test againt New Zealand in Hamilton in February 1991.
Jaysuriya scored 6,973 runs made in 110 Test matches with 340 being the highest among his 14 centuries. It was Jayasuriya's highest Test score in 16 Tests since the last of his centuries in Karachi in 2005 and was reportedly under pressure from selectors to call it a day or be axed.
The left-arm spinner is also just three away from 100 Test wickets. With 12,207 runs and 307 wickets in 403 one-dayers, the all-rounder is one of key players for Sri Lanka in one-dayers and was one of the architects for their 1996 World Cup victory.
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