JOIN USSri Lankan batting stalwart Mahela Jayawardene will retire from Twenty20 Internationals after the conclusion of the ongoing World T20 in Bangladesh.
International Cricket Council announced the news of Jayawardene’s decision on Twitter. “SL legend @MahelaJay to join @KumarSanga2 in T20I retirement after the #wt20 2014,” a tweet from the ICC said. The decision came a day after another Sri Lankan veteran Kumar Sangakkara announced quitting the shortest format. Jayawardene has played 49 T20Is to date, scoring 1335 runs at 31.78, with a strike rate of 134.17.
Explaining the reason behind his decision to quit T20 Internationals, he said: “The rationale is pretty much same as Sanga’s. When it is clear that I can’t see myself playing in the next ICC World T20, there wasn’t much point in me occupying a spot.
“It makes more sense for a youngster to come into the mix and establish himself,” he was quoted as saying by ‘Wisden India’. “While I enjoy all formats of the game, and Test cricket is certainly the pinnacle for any player, the journey in Twenty20 cricket has been fascinating.”