Colombo: Veteran Sri Lankan batsman Kumar Sangakkara is likely to retire from international cricket after the first Test against India in Galle later this year.
Sangakkara has had a talk with SLC officials regarding his swansong Test and his willingness to play two Tests against Pakistan and the opening game versus India besides his county commitments with Surrey, reported ‘ESPNcricinfo’.
The India series, which is slated for an August 18 start in Galle, was already supposed to be Sangakkara’s final hurrah, but the left-handed batsman was expected to play all the three Tests against India.
This means that Sangakkara will not be able to bid adieu in Kandy, but there is a chance that his farewell Test could be moved to his hometown.
The 37-year-old former captain had originally intended to retire from all formats following the World Cup, but was convinced to stay on for two more series by the former selectors and captain Angelo Mathews, among others.
With 12,203 Test runs, 38 Test hundreds and an average of 58.66, Sangakkara will retire as Sri Lanka’s most successful Test batsman.
Incidentally, another Sri Lankan great, Muttiah Muralitharan, had called time on his career after playing only the first Test of the series in Galle, in which the off-spinner completed a Test haul of record 800 wickets.
PTI
