Mahela Jayawardene to retire from tests after SA, Pak series

Tuesday, 15 July 2014 01:18 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reuters: Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene will retire from test cricket following the home series against South Africa and Pakistan, the country’s cricket board said on Monday. “It was not an easy decision to make given that it has been a great privilege and honour representing my country during the past 18 years, but I believe this is the right time,” the 37-year-old said in a statement released by Sri Lanka Cricket. The stylish right-handed batsman is the most capped test player for Sri Lanka with 145 appearances and his 11,493 runs shares sixth spot, along with compatriot Kumar Sangakkara, on the list of highest scorers in the longest format of the game. One of the most elegant batsmen of his generation, Jayawardene has scored 33 test centuries since his debut against India in 1997 and enjoys a batting average of a little more than 50 runs per innings. He also had two stints as Sri Lanka’s captain and was a safe pair of hands in the slips cordon, evident from his 197 catches in tests. In April, both Jayawardene and Sangakkara announced their retirements from the shortest format after Sri Lanka won the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh. Jayawardene will, however, continue playing the 50-over format for Sri Lanka, making himself available for next year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

The island nation will host South Africa in a two-test series starting on Wednesday before another two-match series against Pakistan next month. Sri Lanka to send banned spinner Sachithra Senanayake for coaching Sri Lanka’s cricket authorities decided on Sunday to send off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake for intense coaching after the International Cricket Council (ICC) ruled his bowling action illegal and banned him from international matches. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) secretary Nishantha Ranatunga said the coaching team was being asked to study reports from the ICC and take corrective action. The ICC told the SLC Saturday that it investigated a complaint following a Sri Lankan victory over England at Lord’s in May and concluded that Senanayake used an illegal bowling action. “The ICC today confirmed that an independent test had found the bowling action of Senanayake to be illegal and, as such, the player has been suspended from bowling in international cricket,” the ICC said in a statement a day after SLC announced the ban. Ranatunga said Sri Lanka was abiding by the ICC decision, but was also moving to address any problems with Senanayake’s bowling and take corrective steps so that he could return to international cricket. “If there is anything to be corrected with his bowling action, we want to do it and get him to play as soon as possible,” Ranatunga told AFP. “We want to rectify any problem.” Senanayake, who twice recorded career-best figures in the Royal London series, was reported by umpires Ian Gould and Marais Erasmus during a one-day international series that Sri Lanka won. Sri Lanka Cricket chiefs had earlier defended Senanayake, saying that he had over the past two years played many bilateral ICC tournaments without a hint of suspicion. But they made it clear Sunday that they were not confronting the ICC decision.Senanayake has played in 39 ODIs and taken 40 wickets while conceding 1,393 runs. He played one Test match against Pakistan but took no wickets. He also played 17 T20 matches and took 18 wickets for 300 runs.