Jayasuriya to retire after 2007 World Cup

Sanath Jayasuriya's swansong will be at the 2007 World Cup © AFP Enlarge

Sanath Jayasuriya will retire from all forms of cricket after the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies. He had earlier announced that the ongoing match against Pakistan at Kandy would be his last Test.

"Not playing Test cricket will help me keep fit and allow me to play on until next year's World Cup," Jayasuriya told Reuters. "I will definitely retire from all cricket after that tournament. We are building a really good side for that tournament and I feel we have a real chance of winning, although we'll have to work extremely hard and perform in all three departments of the game."

He said that the lead-up to his final Test had been emotional but felt that he had picked the right time to end his Test career. "It is sad having played for so long and having enjoyed so many good times with the team, but I feel my decision is good for Sri Lankan cricket as now is the right time to go," said Jayasuriya. "I had been thinking about it for a while but I made a sudden decision after the first Test, as I felt the time had come for a youngster to be given a chance like I was.

"I am fit and I am still performing. Now is the right time to hand over to a player that deserves a chance - I hope the youngster will make use of that. The gap between international and domestic cricket in Sri Lanka is very big and they need to have lots of experience to develop properly."