Muralitharan to retire from Test cricket in 2010

By pratik
for Cricketain.com

Published: July 31, 2009

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Dambulla: Sri Lanka’s champion spinner and world record holder for most wickets in one day internationals and test matches, announced on Thursday that he was planning to retire from Test cricket in 2010.

“We don’t have many Test matches next year but I am thinking that next year’s Test series against West Indies (in September) will be my last two Test matches,” Muralitharan, the world’s highest wicket-taker in Tests and one dayers, told reporters.

The 37-year-old off-spinner has been suffering from knee problems in the recent past and missed the three-test series against Pakistan. With surgeons warning him that he faces long-term pain in his knee, the off spinner said his body could not cope with five-day matches for much longer.

“I put in a lot of effort in the past month to get fit,” Muralitharan told reporters after Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 36 runs in the first one day international.

“The doctors told me I have to go through (the pain) and train harder because an operation will mean me being out for six to seven months,” he said.

“They think I’ll be able to play for one to two years and told me to have the operation when I finish playing. That means my career is almost over and I am not going to play for long.”

However, Murali said that he intends to carry on playing the shorter versions of the game.

“I still want to play on if I can to the 2011 World Cup and I will enjoy playing T20 for a few more years if I can,” said Muralitharan, who was named the man of the match on Thursday for grabbing two wickets for 46 and scoring 32 runs from 15 balls.

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