Sangakkara to quit Twenty20 after world event

Sri Lankan to pave way for youngsters in national team.

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara will retire from Twenty20 internationals after the ongoing World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, the veteran left-hander told a newspaper on Sunday.

The 36-year-old said he wanted to make way for younger players in the national team, but made himself available to play the shortest format in franchise-based competitions.

“Definitely, without a doubt, this is my last World Twenty20,” Sangakkara told the Colombo-based Sunday Island newspaper. “I won’t be playing any Twenty20 internationals after this.

“It’s sad, but that’s the truth. It’s not the end of my Twenty20 career though. I would like to play franchise-based Twenty20s. Once your World Cup prospects are over, you should give the next crop of players an opportunity. It’s a natural progression.”

Sangakkara, under whom Sri Lanka reached the final of the 2009 World Twenty20 in England, has played 50 Twenty20 internationals, scoring 1,311 runs at an average of 32.77 with seven half-centuries.

He has been in prime form of late, smashing a triple-century and a hundred in the second Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong last month.

Sri Lanka, the world’s number one Twenty20 side, are drawn with South Africa, England, New Zealand and a yet-to-be decided qualifier in the Super-10 round of the World Twenty20.

Sri Lanka depart with unsigned contracts

The dispute between Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and its players went unresolved with respect to contracts being signed, as the demand for percentage cuts from gross earnings of the board was dismissed, according to ESPNcricinfo.

However, this did not stop the team from leaving at strength on Sunday for Bangladesh; the dispute will most likely be resolved once the squad returns.

According to the board, an official offered the players an opportunity to sign the contracts before departure, but it was rejected. The players had earlier discussed their position after SLC issued threats to send a second-tier team to Bangladesh. “I suppose they will look at the contracts again when they come back” said SLC CEO Ashley de Silva.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 17^th, 2014.

Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.