CENTURION: Sri Lankan limited overs captain Lasith Malinga will retire from international cricket after next year’s Twenty20 World Cup, he revealed on Friday.
Malinga said that he would quit One-day Internationals after the World Cup in England and Wales this summer before calling time on his career following the Twenty20 tournament, being played in Australia over October-November 2020.
“After the World Cup, my cricketing career is ending,” the 35-year-old said after his side lost to South Africa in the second Twenty20 International at SuperSport Park. “I want to play in the T20 World Cup and then end my career.”
Malinga dismissed South African top-scorer Reeza Hendricks for 65 on Friday, his 97th T20 international wicket. He is one short of the world record of 98 held by Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi.
Meanwhile, Malinga said he is ready to sacrifice his earnings from the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) in order to win a place in the country’s World Cup squad.
Selectors have made it mandatory for Sri Lanka players to participate in a 50-overs tournament at home if they want to be considered for selection in the 15-member squad for the May 30-July 14 World Cup.
“I had asked the board for the No-Objection Certificate for me to play in the IPL, and they had said that was fine, but that all players who want to go to the World Cup would need to stay back for the provincial tournament,” Malinga said. “So I told them I’d play in the provincial tournament, and I asked the board to inform Mumbai Indians and IPL, since it was their decision. I’m okay with losing those earnings from IPL. I’m doing it for the country.”
The 35-year-old fast bowler, who has taken the most wickets (154 in 110 matches) since the first edition of the IPL in 2008, was bought by the Mumbai franchise for 20 million Indian rupees ($289,184.50) in the January auction for the upcoming season.
He had worked as a bowling mentor for the same team after going unsold in 2018.
“Once I become available for Mumbai Indians, I would have missed seven or eight games,” Malinga added. “So there’s probably no point in them waiting around for me. Better for them to find someone else to replace me with.”
Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2019
