Sri Lankan veteran bowler Rangana Herath on Sunday announced his retirement from the two shortest forms of cricket, saying he wanted to focus on Test matches.
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Herath will remain available for Test team selection.
It was a topic covered in this year’s Editor’s Notes in Wisden with Lawrence Booth writing: “Walkovers happen, but cricket would benefit if they didn’t happen in a vacuum. last summer’s women’s Ashes provided a glimpse of a solution, already suggested elsewhere for the good reason that it makes sense: hand out points for every win on a bilateral tour (say, six for a Test, three for a one-day global and two for a Twenty20), tot them up, then award three to the overall victor, or one each in case of a draw”.
Herath’s prowess in Test cricket has been phenomenal, taking 297 wickets in 67 Tests at an average of 29.87. The 38-year-old, who made his debut for Sri Lanka in 1999 against Australia in Galle, will continue to play Test matches.
The news was confirmed by Sri Lanka Cricket via a media release.
He stops his limited overs career after picking up 74 wickets in 71 ODIs and 18 wickets in 17 T20 Internationals. “I give the ball air and try to get the batsmen out”.
The bone bruise to his left knee is also expected to keep Malinga out of Sri Lanka’s forthcoming tour of England, as well as the Caribbean Premier League.
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The left-arm orthodox spinner played six ODIs in 2004 before experiencing a six-year hiatus from Sri Lanka’s ODI team, returning in 2010 and becoming a regular part of the side following the retirement of Muthiah Muralitharan.
