Retiring Sangakkara has no regrets

Reuters:  Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara on Tuesday (11 August) said he had no regrets as he looked back at his 16-year-long cricketing career.

The island nation’s most prolific batsman will quit international cricket after the second test against India.

Sangakkara had said he wanted to quit all formats of the game after Sri Lanka’s World Cup campaign this year but promised to be available for the back-to-back home series against Pakistan and India.

“I mean there are regrets but they are not regrets that I’ll be thinking about for years and years and be bitter about. I had a great career, I really enjoyed everything- even the wins, even the losses, the bad times, the good times. It’s been a great experience,” Sangakkara told reporters in Galle.

Sangakkara made his international debut in 2000 and played his 132nd test against Pakistan. He is the fifth highest test scorer of all time and is one short of Australian great Donald Bradman’s record of 12 double centuries in tests.

Sri Lanka will play their first test match against India on Wednesday (12 August).

Captain of Lankan team, Angelo Mathews, said that the team would miss the senior player and his guidance.

“Yeah, we are all geared-up and we all want to give a good farewell. You know he has been great for us, for the team for more than 15-16 years. We are very thankful to him of who we are today. Our team is in a better position,” said Mathews.

Adjudged ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2012, the former Sri Lanka captain was part of the 2014 Twenty20 World Cup-winning squad.

He was also a member of the teams which reached the 50-over World Cup finals in 2007 and 2011.

Sangakkara’s retirement, following that of his former team mate Mahela Jayawardene, creates a big void for Sri Lanka but he has no doubt the team under Mathews will cope.

Speaking about the upcoming Test series, Mathews said that India was a tough challenger.

“Yeah, India is definitely a tough opposition to be, regardless to play at home or away. They have got a really good balanced team and we got to really play good cricket to win against them,” he said.

Sri Lanka will play three Test matches and two T20 games against India, with the second Test at Colombo’s P. Sara Oval on 20 August.

The Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo will host the final test on 28 August.