Sri Lankan cricket star Angelo Mathews has officially announced his retirement from Test cricket, bringing an end to a remarkable red-ball career that spanned over 15 years.
In a statement shared on social media, the 37-year-old former captain confirmed that his final Test appearance will be against Bangladesh in Galle on June 17.
Mathews made his Test debut in 2009 and will retire as Sri Lanka’s third-highest run-scorer in Test history, having scored 8,167 runs at an average of 44.62 in 118 matches. Only Kumar Sangakkara (12,400 runs) and Mahela Jayawardene (11,814 runs) are ahead of him.
In addition to his batting achievements, the right-arm all-rounder also picked up 33 wickets with the ball and captained Sri Lanka in 34 Tests between 2013 and 2017.
Though stepping away from the longest format, Mathews expressed his willingness to remain available for ODI and T20 formats, stating,
“Playing for Sri Lanka over the past 17 years has been the greatest honor of my life. I gave everything to the sport, and it gave me everything in return.”
Despite not featuring in limited-overs internationals since June last year, Mathews affirmed his commitment to representing his country if called upon.
