Lasith Malinga Retirement Offers Sad Commentary on State of Test Cricket

( 22 April : Cricklanka News )Sri Lanka's prolific pace bowler Lasith Malinga has announced that he has decided to retire from international Test cricket due to chronic knee problems.

Malinga who is currently playing for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) has said that he will retire from Test cricket because of a "long-standing degenerative" knee injury.

However, he will continue to be available for ODIs and Twenty20 games, he has said.

"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," The 27-year-old Malinga has said in a statement.

He has said the knee injury had kept him away from playing ODIs for 16 months.

"The condition relates directly to the chronic knee injury I sustained playing for Sri Lanka in Australia back in February 2008, an injury that prevented me from playing ODI cricket for 16 months," he has said.
The cricketer says his condition is aggravated by prolong bowling or fielding during Test matches.

"The injury was a career-threatening injury and my orthopaedic surgeon was of the opinion that given his experience with other professional athletes in Australia I was very fortunate to play again. I have since been advised by the national team physiotherapist and my orthopaedic consultant that my condition will deteriorate when fielding or bowling for prolonged periods," Malinga has clarified.

"I have realised that the heavy workload of Test cricket, which requires a fast bowler to be able to bowl more than 15 overs, sometimes on consecutive days, could lead to permanent injury. I have carefully considered my options and have decided that not playing Test cricket will help me achieve my goal of representing Sri Lanka in the 2012 World Twenty20 and the 2015 World Cup," he has said.

Although Malinga was not included in Sri Lanka's Test squad for the tour of England, the selectors asked Malinga to return to Sri Lanka from IPL and undergo a rehabilitation program if he cannot play for the national team due to injuries.

Indian media says the surprise announcement from the bowler is seen as a measure to put an end to the selection dispute.

Posted in: