Nuwan Kulasekara, the 33-year old Sri Lanka seamer, has announced his retirement from Test cricket.
“I would like to retire from playing Test cricket with immediate effect,” he was quoted as saying in a Sri Lanka Cricket press release. “After much thought I believe it is the right time to retire and I hope it will allow me to better prepare for ODI and T20 cricket, which I would like to continue playing for Sri Lanka subject to good performance and selection”
Kulasekara played 21 Tests and picked up 48 wickets since making his debut in April 2005. Though pace wasn’t his strong suit, he had the ability to move the new ball and was known for his accuracy. Among his standout performances were the two four-wicket hauls he took against Pakistan in Colombo in 2009 to finish with a match-winning 8 for 58 in 28.4 overs.
Kulasekara played his last Test in June 2014 at Lord’s, where Sri Lanka clung on for a nail-biting draw. He was not in the XI at Headingley, though, where Sri Lanka beat England to seal a landmark series win.
Kulasekara is an asset in limited-overs cricket – he has played 173 ODIs and was ranked as the No. 1 bowler in March 2009 – due to his nagging lines and seam movement but was unable to reprise the same threat in Tests. As a result, he could only play 21 matches in 11 years.