Lasith Malinga to quit ODIs after 1st match against Bangladesh
Sri Lanka’s senior fast bowler Lasith Malinga is set to retire from one-day internationals after the first of the three-match series against Bangladesh, captain Dimuth Karunaratne said.
The veteran pacer was named in Sri Lanka’s ODI squad for the Bangladesh series starting July 26 at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium. Addressing the press on Monday, skipper Karunaratne has hinted that the first match of the series will be Malinga’s last.
“He is going to play the first match,” Karunaratne said. “After that, he is retiring. That’s what he said to me. I don’t know what he said [to] the selectors but [to] me he said he is playing only one match.”
Sri Lanka’s jewel
35-year old Malinga has been at the heart of Sri Lankan cricket ever since making his international debut in 2004. Known for his slinging action and drop-dead yorkers, he has been particularly impressive in the shorter formats of the game. With 335 wickets in 225 ODIs, Malinga is Sri Lanka’s third-highest wicket-taker in fifty-over cricket.
Apart from being a potent force with the new ball, Malinga is also one of the best death bowlers in world cricket. He is the first and only bowler to have three ODI hat-tricks to his name. Two of those came in World Cup encounters. In the 2007 edition, he achieved the unique feat of picking four wickets in consecutive deliveries in international cricket. With 59 wickets, he remains the third-highest wicket-taker in World Cup history, behind Australian pacer Glenn McGrath (71) and Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan (68).
A World Cup to remember
Drawing curtains on an illustrious ODI career, Malinga’s last hurrah came in his final World Cup appearance in the 2019 edition. With 13 wickets in 7 games, he finished as Sri Lanka’s leading wicket-taker in the tournament. His inspiring spell of 4/43 in a league match against England stunned the hosts as Sri Lanka registered a 20-run win.
In 2011, Malinga called time on his Test career to prolong his ODI and T20 career. He became the first Sri Lankan captain to win the World T20 in 2014. However, persistent back and knee injuries kept him out for the most part of the 2016 Asia Cup and World T20. Malinga is likely to continue playing in the T20I side until the 2020 edition of World T20.
