De Silva urged to stay on by coach and captain

Veteran Sri Lankan batsman Aravinda de Silva, who announced on Friday that he would retire after the ICC World Cup next year, has been asked to consider extending his 18-year career by Sri Lanka coach Dav Whatmore and captain Sanath Jayasuriya.

De Silva had announced his decision to hang up his boots after playing a starring role in Sri Lanka's seven-wicket win against Australia. De Silva had won the man of the match award for a miserly 10-over spell of off-spin that turned the game.

The decision had not been unexpected. The 36-year-old, who has played 286 one-day internationals and is Sri Lanka's highest run scorer in form forms of the game, had made it clear that he wanted to leave on high - the World Cup would be the perfect finale.

"I am definitely going to finish after the World Cup," said De Silva. "I have to speak to selectors and see if they want me for the World Cup. There are some good youngsters coming through in Sri Lankan cricket and I would like to go out on a high note."

But Whatmore and captain Jayasuriya, who were not aware of De Silva's intentions, pleaded with him to think long and hard before bidding farewell to the game.

"I recognise he's got a family life and a business life and it's the weighing up of those factors that's probably got him to make his assessment of where he is at the moment and where he would like to go," Whatmore said.

He added: "I just think that playing with us up to and through the World Cup must be a minimum amount of cricket he should play. From my point of view as a coach he's been wonderful to the team.

"It's the experience he brings, not just with bat and ball but also in areas that are difficult to quantify. It's in the team room, the team meetings, the dressing rooms, and the bus travel. It's that extra experience, that calming influence and it's an asset that means I hope he plays on as long as he can."

Jayasuriya added: "Personally I think he can play on a lot more."