Sangakkara confirms Test retirement

Sri Lanka's batting great Kumar Sangakkara has ended speculation about his future by confirming that he will retire during his team's home series against India in August.

"This is my time to call it a day," the 37-year-old told reporters on the sidelines of the second Test against Pakistan in Colombo.

The left-hander said he will play two of the three Tests against India that are to take place in Sri Lanka in August. The exact dates and venues have not yet been announced.

Sangakkara, who has more Test runs than any other current player, said he will also skip the third and final Test of the ongoing series against Pakistan.

"I wanted to retire after the World Cup, but was requested by the selectors to stay on," he said.

"I agreed to play four more Tests."

Sangakkara's 12,305 runs and 38 centuries are the most by any batsman still playing, way above second-placed Alastair Cook of England, who has 9,000 runs and 27 hundreds.

Only the retired Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and Rahul Dravid have scored more.

"I don't want to extend my career for individual records," Sangakkara continued. "This is the time to go."

In the first Test against Pakistan in Galle, Sangakkara hit a 50 in the first innings - his 52nd half-century - and 18 in the second when Sri Lanka were dismissed for 206 to lose by 10 wickets.

He fell for 34 in the first innings of the ongoing second Test.

The 37-year-old had already called time on his international career in the shorter formats, playing his final T20 international in Sri Lanka’s successful World T20 campaign last year and his last ODI in the quarter-final of this year’s World Cup.

While Sangakkara bids farewell to the international scene, he will still feature in various domestic competitions around the globe including the KFC Big Bash League for at least the next two seasons playing for the Hobart Hurricanes.

Sangakkara made his Test debut in 2000 and has amassed an incredible record that includes 12,305 runs from 132 matches, with 38 centuries, 52 fifties and a remarkable average of 58.31.

Beginning a Test career as an accomplished wicketkeeper-batsman, the stylish left-hander ditched the gloves to focus on his willow work with dramatic results.

As the designated keeper, Sangakkara averaged 40.48. As a specialist batsman, only Don Bradman (99.94) has a higher average than Kumar.

Adding to that, Sangakkara has scored a Test ton every 2.8 games since losing the gloves – unheard of in the modern era.

Against every nation Sangakkara averages more than 43 and has posted triple-figures against every adversary. Make that at least 152 against every opponent. And it’s that desire for big scores that has made Sangakkara a captain’s eternal headache.

Starting in 2002 with 230 against Pakistan in Lahore, the calm accumulator has amassed 10 double-centuries, of which two exceed the 300 mark, and was also left stranded on 199 at Galle in June 2012. Home (62.62) or abroad (53.13), Sangakkara’s wrath has been evenly distributed, and in no foreign destination has the ex-captain averaged less than 44.

Like his airtight, upright and simple technique, finding a flaw in his CV is next to impossible. When he was tasked with leading his country on 15 occasions, Sangakkara scored seven centuries at 69.60.

"I am going to miss playing for Sri Lanka a lot," he said. "I had the time of my life playing for Sri Lanka. I enjoyed playing every format but donning whites for Sri Lanka has been special.

"I can walk away happy that good days outweigh the disappointments."

Sangakkara added his two-year contract with English county Surrey did not hasten his decision to retire from Tests, as he dismissed the idea of becoming a coach after retirement with a laugh saying he would "make a bad coach".

"I don't know if I will have the patience for that."