Murali to retire after World Cup

Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has announced he will quit the international scene following the World Cup.

Prolific Sri Lankan to give up international cricket but continue in IPL

Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has announced the World Cup will be his swansong in international cricket. The 38-year-old is the leading wicket taker in both Test and one-day international history. He quit the five-day format last year and has now confirmed he will also retire from the limited-overs arena after the World Cup, which runs from February 19 to April 2 in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. "My time is up," admitted Muralitharan, who has taken 800 Test wickets and 517 in ODIs. "I have signed up to play for two years in the IPL and am also looking at similar work in New Zealand and perhaps England."

Decorated

Muralitharan made his debut for Sri Lanka back in 1992 and was part of their World Cup-winning side in 1996. He is hoping to sign off in style with another triumph at the 50-over global showpiece. "This is my fourth World Cup. We won in 1996 and came close in 2007 by reaching the final," he added. "This would be a memorable one for me and for Sri Lankan fans."