Sri Lanka’s premier leg-spinning all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga has decided to retire from Test Cricket with immediate effect.
According to a media release by Sri Lanka Cricket, Hasaranga has decided to step away from red-ball cricket in a bid to prolong his career as a limited overs specialist. The player’s resignation has been accepted by SLC, with Mr. Ashley De Silva, CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket saying, “we will accept his decision and are confident that Hasaranga will be a vital part of our white-ball program going forward.”
The 26-year-old was never a regular in the Test line-up for Sri Lanka, ending his career with 4 Tests under his belt, which all came between December 2020 and April 2021 under Mickey Arthur. Former Sri Lanka Coach Arthur, under whom Hasaranga’s career really took off, was keen to make the all-rounder an all-format star, however, his 4 outings in whites saw him score just 196 runs and crucially pick up just 4 wickets (all of which came in one innings).
Hasaranga’s highest score and best bowling performance came against the same opposition, South Africa, where he picked up 4/171 in the 1st Test of Sri Lanka’s Tour of South Africa in 2020 and made 59 in the next Test of the same series.
With the amount of limited overs internationals and franchise cricket on the calendar, it is unlikely that Hasaranga would have been considered for too many Tests in the coming years.
The leg-spinner is currently leading the B-Love Kandy Franchise at the LPL and is still the key wicket-taker in limited over Cricket for Sri Lanka.
