Malinga retires from Test cricket to prolong T20 and ODI career
Lasith Malinga addresses the media at a press conference in Colombo on January 21, 2011. AFP PHOTO /Lakruwan WANNIARACHCHI.
January 21, 2011 (Island Cricket): Lasith Malinga has announced that he would be curtailing his Test career abruptly to prolong his limited overs career. The 27 year old made the announcement to a gathering of reporters at the Sri Lanka Cricket headquarters in Colombo today.
Malinga was sidelined for more than two years due to a knee injury, only making a comeback to Test cricket during India's 2010 tour to Sri Lanka in which, after playing the first Test, he struggled to feature in the remaining matches. Malinga said that he will likely retire from the five-day game after the 2011 Cricket World Cup.
As the third highest wicket-taker in Test cricket for Sri Lanka, Malinga will be sorely missed by his side. Leaving him out of the squad for the Test series against the West Indies last year proved to be costly for Sri Lanka.
Without Malinga and Muttiah Muralitharan in their ranks, Sri Lanka struggled to contain the West Indian batsmen. The visitors, under a new captain, were expected to struggle in Sri Lankan conditions. But thanks to a triple-century from Chris Gayle in Galle, West Indies managed to draw the only match in the series that wasn't halted due to rain. With the remaining matches washed out, and seventh ranked West Indies drawing the series, Sri Lanka slipped from third place in the the ICC Test rankings to five.
Former skipper, Mahela Jayawardena told reporters before the series that Sri Lanka did not want to risk playing Malinga in Test cricket close to the World Cup.
"With the injury he has, it could easily come back," Jayawardena said. "It's a very rare injury on the knee and him playing in three Tests against West Indies would definitely hamper him. I don't think we'll risk playing him in Test cricket just before the World Cup."
The chairman of selectors, Aravinda de Silva, appeared to be baffled that players were unavailable for Test cricket, but remained available for other forms of the game. Speaking to reporters in November last year, de Silva said: "Most of them don't want to play in a Test match, but want to restrict themselves to playing 50-over and Twenty20 cricket."
"Some of them cannot play back-to-back Test matches. This is something unheard of in the past. In Malinga's case we have even promoted him to the top category in the player contracts, but he is not fit enough to play Test cricket."
After making his Test debut against Australia in Darwin in 2004, Malinga has 101 wickets from 30 Test matches, and a best bowling performance of 5/50 against India in 2010.
Update: Malinga clarifies Test retirement plans
© Island Cricket
Comments
21 January 2011
50 weeks 1 day
The money a player can earn by just only participating in a six week exercise called IPL tempts players to think of themselves rather than their own country. It was reported lately that Malinga in most occasions shies away from test matches complaining about injuries. I felt utterly disappointed after hearing this news. I never expected such selfishness from a Sri Lankan cricketer. Now that there is no more Malinga for test cricket, Sri Lanka has to find not only a quality spinner but a quality fast bowler as well. Else we might experience the same old story of not been capable to get 20 wickets even in our own back yard.
27 December 2008
5 hours 38 min
Now who are we gonna play in Test matches? There was one wicket-taking bowler and looks like No-ball junction will cement a place in Test squad now. Sad development.
I respect his decision.. it was always predicted that with his action he will not last long in all formats! at least this way we will have him for ODIs and T20s for Sri Lanka for a few more years!
3 December 2010
5 hours 59 min
a huge loss for SriLanka, now we are going to find it even more difficult to win test matches.Our test bowling attack looks so weak now more than ever.
25 January 2010
3 weeks 2 days
Utterly dissapointed,sad to see he has no interest whatsoever to play test cricket,his workload could have been managed into short sharp spells but its apparent he has no interest in test cricket,in a year with 12 test matches and the opportunity to climb the Test Ladder,this is a body blow to Sri Lanka Cricket
BEST IDEA MALINGA ! U R THE MAIN MAN OF OUR BOWLING DEPT KEEP SAFE........
20 November 2008
9 min 44 sec
Malinga has clarified his comments to the media: http://www.islandcricket.lk/news/srilank...
25 January 2010
3 weeks 2 days
Imagine what a force he could be in England and SA....
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