Star Sri Lankan batsman Mahela Jayawardene is to retire from Test cricket later this year, the Sri Lankan Cricket board announced on Monday. The 37-year-old, one of the sport´s modern greats, will play his last Test matches against Pakistan in August.
![Jayawardene](https://timesofpakistan.pk/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Mahela-Jayawardene.jpg)
Jayawardene, who retired from the Twenty20 format along with his fellow Sri Lanka stalwart Kumar Sangakkara after their recent World Twenty20 victory, will continue to play in one-day internationals – with a World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in view next year. A Sri Lankan board statement read: “Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce that Mr Mahela Jayawardene has tendered his resignation from Test cricket.” Addressing a letter to the chief executive officer of SLC Mr Ashley De Silva,
Mahela Jayawardene has stated that he would like to retire from Test cricket after the forthcoming Test series´ against South Africa and Pakistan. Former captain Jayawardene said: “It was not an easy decision to make, given that it has been a great privilege and honour representing my country during the past 18 years.”But I believe this is the right time.” Jayawardene, whose most recent series was last month´s surprise 1-0 win in England, has made 11,493 runs in 145 Tests at an average of above 50.He is joint sixth, alongside Sangakkara, on the all-time list of record runscorers. -thenews