Former Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews has confirmed his retirement from international cricket.
Mathews made the announcement in an exclusive interview with The Sunday Morning Sports ahead of the first Test against India in Galle.
The 39-year-old, who played his final Test against Bangladesh in June last year, said it was important for a player to retire at the right time and that he was completely satisfied with his decision.
Although Mathews had previously said he would remain available for Test cricket if required, he has now decided to retire from international cricket altogether and has begun a new career as a commentator.
During his 17-year international career, Mathews scored 8,214 runs in 119 Tests and also accumulated 7,332 runs in ODIs and T20Is.
Mathews became Sri Lanka’s youngest Test captain at the age of 25 in 2013. Under his leadership, Sri Lanka recorded several notable victories, including a historic Test series win over England in 2014 and a 3–0 Test series victory over Australia in 2016.
He also captained Sri Lanka to victory in the 2014 Asia Cup and served as vice-captain when Sri Lanka won the 2014 T20 World Cup.
Mathews leaves international cricket with a significant legacy as one of Sri Lanka’s leading all-rounders and successful captains.
