Kathmandu: Sri Lanka pacer Lasith Malinga has decided to hang up his boots in T20I cricket, bringing an end to one of the great careers in the sport.

The pacer made this announcement on his social media channels. Malinga played 30 Test matches, 226 ODIs, and 84 T20Is for Sri Lanka, picking up 546 wickets.

Malinga last played a T20I match for Sri Lanka in March 2020 against West Indies in Pallekele.

In a glorious international career, Malinga experienced some incredible highs representing the Sri Lankan national team. Malinga led his side to glory in the 2014 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.

A fearsome pacer known for his menacing yorkers, Malinga is the leading wicket-taker in T20I cricket with 107 scalps. Malinga also has two T20I hat-tricks to his name.

Malinga also picked up three hat-tricks in ODI cricket, with his performance against South Africa in the 2007 World Cup in West Indies etched in history. Malinga retired from Test cricket in 2011, to work on his fitness and concentrate on the shorter formats of the game.

His statement on Twitter read: “Hanging up my T20shoes and retiring from all forms of cricket! Thankful to all those who supported me in my journey, and looking forward to sharing my experience with young cricketers in the years to come.”

In a video, he further added, “Today is a very special day for me. Because I want to thank each and everyone, who has supported me and blessed me throughout my T20 career. Today I decided that I want to give a 100 percent rest for my T20 bowling shoes.

“That’s why I want to thank Sri Lankan Cricket Board and my team members. While my shoes will rest, my love for the game will never ask for rest. Looking forward to seeing our youngsters make history.”

News credit: ICC