Lasith Malinga bows out of Tests, will play ODIs and T20s

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga announced his retirement from Test cricket on Friday, citing a “degenerative knee condition” as the reason behind his decision.

Malinga, who Sri Lanka’s leading wicket-taker at the World Cup, said he will continue to play one-day international and Twenty20 cricket despite the knee problem.

The sling-arm action bowler is currently playing for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League and had made himself unavailable for Sri Lanka’s tour of England, attracting criticism that he had chosen to play for club over country.

“In January this year I wrote a letter to Sri Lanka Cricket and released a statement to the media confirming that I planned to reassess my Test future after the World Cup,” he said in a statement.

“I decided that I needed to make myself unavailable for Test cricket in an effort to prolong my career as a national cricketer for Sri Lanka.

“Although I am sufficiently fit to play both ODI and T20 cricket, I have a long-standing degenerative condition in my right knee that needs to be carefully managed.”