Sri Lanka's 37 years stylist and classical batsman Mahela Jayawardene has announced his retirement from Test cricket. Mahela Jayawardene currently holds the Sri Lankan record for most runs, most catches and most Tests played for Sri Lanka.
Mahela Jayawardene will retire from Test cricket at the conclusion of the series against Pakistan in August, Sri Lanka Cricket has announced. He will continue to be available for ODI cricket only. He has been also retired from T20 internationals in April this year.
Jayawardene, 37, has been a cornerstone of the Sri Lanka batting order since his debut against India in 1997, and has made 11493 Test runs in his 145 tests career, which is currently joint-highest for a Sri Lanka batsman alongside Kumar Sangakkara. Jayawardene has hit 33 hundreds and 48 fifties in 244 innings.
"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," Jayawardene said. "But I believe this is the right time."
Jayawardene also led the Sri Lanka team from 2006 to 2009, and again for 12 months from early 2012 to 2013. His first captaincy stint was among Sri Lanka's most successful stretches of Test cricket, as the team won 15 of 28 matches and lost only seven.
Jayawardene has Centuries against every Test side, and in every Test-playing country apart from South Africa, where he has struggled most. His away average of 41.50.
He has also excelled as a slip fielder throughout his career, sitting third on the all-time catches list, with 197 catches.
Jayawardene has also made the highest score by a Sri Lankan - his 374 against South Africa in 2006. He has been in good Test-match form in 2014, averaging 75.77 in his six most recent matches.
