Kulasekara retires from international cricket

Sri Lankan fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekara today officially announced his retirement from international cricket.

“I have decided to hang my boots from the international format of the game,” he told reporters at a press conference in Colombo. 

“It has been an amazing journey, but all good things must come to an end and just like that my time has come to bid farewell.” 

Kulasekara said that he was fortunate to play cricket alongside some of the greats of the game and that his partnership with Lasith Malinga for over a decade created many Sri Lankan victories.

“I have represented my team and nation with the highest amount of pride and admiration. Nothing was more important than seeing Sri Lanka at the top of world cricket.”

He also said that Malinga’s recent statement of wishing to retire from the ODI version of the game playing alongside himself in Sri Lanka would have been “a dream come true.”

However, the veteran bowler said he made a request to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on playing a farewell match with Malinga, but the request was turned down.

Kulasekara finishes as the third highest wicket-taker among Sri Lanka’s pace bowlers after Chaminda Vaas and Lasith Malinga.

The 37-year-old had 199 scalps in 184 ODIs while he took another 66 wickets in 58 T20 matches in a career spanning over 15 years.

He also played 21 Tests for the island nation taking 48 wickets.

Kulasekara last represented Sri Lanka in an ODI against Zimbabwe in Hambantota in July 2017 and hasn’t played any competitive match since March 2018.    

Kulasekara was one of Sri Lanka’s heroes during their victorious 2014 World T20 campaign in which he took eight wickets in six matches at an economy rate of 6.42.

Kulasekara was ranked as the No.1 bowler in March 2009 ICC rankings and his career-best ODI figures of 5 for 22 came in 2013 against Australia in Brisbane.