Jayawardene hints of retirement post Word Cup

COLOMBO - Sri Lanka’s veteran batsman Mahela Jayawardene Sunday hinted at ending his illustrious career after the 2011 World Cup.

The former Sri Lankan captain said he will decide on his future after the mega event.

“Individually, I will decide on my future after this tournament. I will see how my body feels and assess how much international cricket I have left in me. I definitely don’t want to drag myself through international cricket. I want to play as long as I am enjoying and contributing to the team and have the huge,” Jayawardene wrote in his column in Cricinfo.

The 33-year-old has featured in 116 Tests and 332 and One-day Internationals with more than 18,000 runs to his name. It was under Jayawardene’s captaincy that Sri Lanka made it to the final of the 2007 World Cup before losing to Australia.

“In 2007, we played really well and came agonisingly close to repeating the heroics of our 1996 team. We have lost some superstars, but gained a really talented group of cricketers.”

Jayawardene said he enjoys opening the batting and hoped to do well if given a chance.

“Some people have asked me whether I will open the batting in this tournament. It all depends on our tactical thinking,” Jayawardene said.

“In the last six months, even in Australia, Upul Tharanga and (Tillakaratne) Dilshan have batted really well and I don’t see why we need to change that combination.

“Opening was a really good challenge for me especially at this stage in my career and it’s something I really enjoyed. Hopefully, when the opportunity presents itself, I can continue doing well in that position.”