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Jayasuriya to retire from Tests

Sanath Jayasuriya, the Sri Lankan opener, has announced that he will retire from Test cricket following the current series against Pakistan

Cricinfo staff
31-Mar-2006


Sanath Jayasuriya has decided to retire from Test cricket © Getty Images
Sanath Jayasuriya, the Sri Lankan opener, has announced that he will retire from Test cricket following the current series against Pakistan. However, he will continue his one-day international career and is available for the World Cup next year.
Jayasuriya, 36, has been one of the stars of Sri Lanka's batting for over a decade. His decision means he won't tour England this summer, the scene of arguably his finest hour when he made 219 at The Oval in 1998. He is Sri Lanka's most prolific batsman in both forms of the game.
Following the announcement he said: "I thought about it long and hard and decided that's it. It's a very emotional moment, but I guess every good thing has to come to an end."
Jayasuriya has been plagued by injury problems in recent times and only made the first Test against Pakistan after a late fitness test. However, he made just six and 13 in Colombo and that performance, along with the development of young batsmen such as Upul Tharanga, probably played a part in his decision.