Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga set to retire after T20 World Cup in 2020
Saturday 23 March 2019 15:49, UK
Sri Lanka seamer Lasith Malinga has revealed he plans to retire from international cricket after the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2020.
Malinga, 35, has taken a combined 520 wickets across all three formats since debuting for his country in a Test match against Australia in 2004.
The paceman has bagged 97 scalps in T20 internationals, placing him behind only Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi (98) on the all-time list.
"After the World Cup, my cricketing career is ending. I want to play in the T20 World Cup and then end my career," Malinga said after Sri Lanka's T20I defeat to South Africa on Friday night, a result that condemned his side to a series loss with a game to go.
The Galle-born quick took one wicket in Sri Lanka's loss at Centurion and will become the first bowler to 100 T20I scalps if he takes three more in Sunday's third and final T20I in Johannesburg.
Malinga is captaining Sri Lanka's white-ball sides in South Africa but is reportedly battling with Dimuth Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews to be skipper at the 50-over World Cup in England this summer.
Sri Lanka were whitewashed 5-0 by South Africa in the preceding five-match ODI series and must now win at Wanderers on Sunday - live on Sky Sports Cricket from 12.25pm - to avoid a second sweep on tour.
Malinga is due to miss Mumbai Indians' first six IPL games, with Sri Lanka selectors requesting their players feature in their domestic one-day tournament ahead of the World Cup.
Watch the third T20 international between South Africa and Sri Lanka, in Johannesburg, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 12.25pm on Sunday.
