Mahela Jayawardene, who has been the linchpin of the Sri Lankan batting order since 1997, has decided to say goodbye to and illustrious and celebrated Test career.
In April this year, Jayawardene retired from T20 cricket. The Sri Lankan batting stalwart has played 145 Tests and will hope to end his career at P Sara Oval match beginning on August 14. Mahela Jayawardene’s retirement had informed Sri Lankan chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya about his plans. Mahela Jayawardene will be available for ODIs.
“It was not an easy decision to make given that it has been a great privilege and honor representing my country during the past 18 years,” said Jayawardene speaking about his retirement from Test cricket.”
Jayawardene’s Test career spanned over 18 years in which the consistent and rock solid batting giant scored 11493 Test runs including 33 memorable hundreds and 48 vital fifties. Mahela Jayawardene wishes to concentrate on the 2015 World Cup and hence has decided to hang his boots in other forms of the game.
Jayawardene’s commitment to the game is well known. Even at 37, Jaywardene averaged 75.77 in Test cricket in 2014, taking his six most recent matches into account. Jayawardene has a Test hundred against every Test playing nation. However, South Africa is the only country which denied the legendary batsmen a hundred. Mahela also has two hundreds at Lord’s. Apart from being the highest run scorer for Sri Lanka, Mahela Jayawardene is also the all-time number three when it comes to catches. Mahela has taken 197 catches in his career making him the Sri Lankan with most catches.
