Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara to ‘call it a day’ after second India Test

Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara will quit international cricket during the test series against India, the island nation's most prolific batsman said on Saturday.

Kumar Sangakkara addresses the media and announces his decision to retire from Test cricket. Sanka Gayashan / AP Photo

Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara on Saturday ended speculation about his future, saying he will retire during the home series against India in August.

“This is my time to call it a day,” Sangakkara, 37, said on the sidelines of the second Test against Pakistan at the P Sara Oval in Colombo.

The left-hander said he will play two of the three Tests against India that will take place in Sri Lanka in August. The dates and venues have not yet been announced.

Sangakkara said he will skip the third and final Test of the ongoing series against Pakistan starting in Pallekele on July 3.

“I wanted to retire after the World Cup but was requested by the selectors to stay on,” he said. “I agreed to play four Tests. I will honour that agreement. I gave my word, so I will stand by that.”

Sangakkara’s 12,305 runs and 38 centuries are the most by any batsman still playing Tests, above second-placed Alastair Cook of England, who has 9,000 runs and 27 hundreds.

The 132-Test veteran may be below record-holder Sachin Tendulkar’s Test tally of 15,921 runs and 51 hundreds, but his 11 scores of 200-plus are one short of Australian legend Don Bradman’s record of 12.

“I don’t want to prolong my career for records,” Sangakkara said. “I don’t want to extend my career for individual records. This is the time to go.”

Sangakkara retired from Twenty20s after helping Sri Lanka win the World Twenty20 title in Bangladesh last year and quit one-day internationals after the recent World Cup, where he hit four consecutive centuries.

“I am going to miss playing for Sri Lanka a lot,” he said. “I had the time of my life playing for Sri Lanka. I enjoyed playing every format, but donning whites for Sri Lanka has been special. I can walk away happy that good days outweigh the disappointments.”

Asked when he first thought of retiring, Sangakkara said, “My father asked me a couple of years ago ‘don’t you think it’s time to think of retirement?’ I was shocked.

“But it struck home that it was time to think of the future.”

Sangakkara said that his two-year contract with English county Surrey did not hasten his decision to retire from Tests, as he dismissed the idea of becoming a coach after retirement with a laugh, saying he would “make a bad coach”.

“I don’t know if I will have the patience for that,” he added.

He predicted a bright future for the young Sri Lankan team under captain Angelo Mathews and urged fans to have patience with them.

“There is a lot of talent and ability in the dressing room,” Sangakkara said.

“Angelo is a fantastic cricketer and captain. He is the ideal man to lead Sri Lanka.

“I wish there will be real culture of fearless cricket. Give this team a period of a year and they will come a long way.”

Pakistan fought back impressively on Day 3 to leave the second Test against Sri Lanka finely balanced in Colombo.

After conceding a lead of 177 runs, Pakistan lost opener Mohammad Hafeez early, but his partner Ahmed Shehzad and Azhar Ali both made half-centuries as Pakistan recovered to end the day on 171 for two.

Sri Lanka had resumed on 304 for nine and, after a delayed start due to rain, it did not take Pakistan long to wrap up the innings. Leg-spinner Yasir Shah finished with figures of six for 96.

Shehzad survived an lbw review from Rangana Herath after getting an inside edge and went on to bring up his fifty off 115 balls.

The century partnership soon followed and the duo got to tea, but Shehzad fell for 69 to the first ball after the interval.

Ali (64 not out) soon brought up his 20th Test half-century off 126 balls as he and Younis (23 not out) continued to build steadily until play was ended for the day due to bad light.

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