DHAKA, March 17 (PTI): Sri Lankan batting stalwart Mahela Jayawardene will retire from Twenty20 Internationals after the conclusion of the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup 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 in the international circuit after the Twenty20 World Cup. The 36-year-old Jayawardene has appeared in all four T20 World Cups till now and 2014 event in Bangladesh will be his last one. He was the captain of the Sri Lankan team which lost in the final of the last T20 World Cup at home against the West Indies.
Jayawardene has played 49 T20Is to date, scoring 1335 runs at 31.78, with a strike rate of 134.17. He has one century in the format -- a 100 which is also his highest T20 score -- which came against Zimbabwe in Guyana during the 2010 World T20. He has scored eight half-centuries in T20 international matches.
Jayawardene made his T20I debut in June 2006 against England at Southampton. He led the Delhi Daredevils side in the IPL last season but found no buyers in the players' auction this year.
The ICC tweet also had a photo of both Sangakkara and Jayawardene posing together with the writing on the background: 'Last World T20. Let's make it count'. Asked about the retirement of the veteran duo from T20Is, Sri Lankan opener Lahiru Thirimanne said, "They (Sangakkara and Jayawardene) are great cricketers. It will be difficult to match them."
Explaining the reason behind his decision to quit T20 Internationals, Jayawardene 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'. Jayawardenene's place in the history of Sri Lankan and world cricket is secure, thanks mainly to his achievements in Test and 50-over cricket.
