Wanindu Hasaranga retires from Test cricket to focus on white-ball career
Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga has ended his Test career for the sake of his thriving white-ball fortunes. He is among the best spinners in the world, when it comes to the shortest format, and represents numerous franchises across the world along with his national team.
According to earlier reports, Hasaranga had written to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), expressing his desire to play only white-ball cricket and giving his best in the two formats for the national team moving forward. The board has apparently accepted his request as he is officially not a Test cricketer anymore.
Mr. Ashley De Silva, CEO of SLC, released a statement on Tuesday.
“We will accept his decision and are confident that Hasaranga will be a vital part of our white-ball program going forward," the statement read.
Hasaranga's Test record seems pale in comparison to his achievements in white-ball cricket in his short career so far. He made his Test debut against South Africa in 2020 and represented Sri Lanka in a total of four Tests, the last of which came against Bangladesh in 2021.
Across his four appearances, he took four wickets at an average of 100.75. In comparison, he has taken 102 wickets in 44 first-class matches since 2016.
Wanindu Hasaranga is currently the No. 3-ranked bowler in T20Is
The ace spinner's white-ball prowess scaled new heights when he was crowned as the No. 1-ranked T20I bowler after a successful individual T20 World Cup 2022 campaign. He still remains Sri Lanka's highest-ranked bowler in the format as he holds the No. 3 spot behind Rashid Khan and Josh Hazlewood.
Currently representing the B-Love Kandy in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2023, Wanindu Hasaranga, is one of the most sought-after candidates in the T20 franchise cricket domain.
He is even a vital vog in the ODI setup, proven by his exploits in the recently concluded ODI World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe. He was the leading wicket-taker with 22 scalps as Sri Lanka won the tournament and secured World Cup qualification.
The mystery spinner will undoubtedly be one of Sri Lanka's key players at the upcoming set of tournaments like the 2023 Asia Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup, given that it is taking place in the subcontinent itself.
Sri Lanka's current spin department is led by Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis among other candidates. Hasaranga's fellow mystery spinner Maheesh Theeksana has also made a handful of Test appearances in recent times.
Has the mystery spinner made the right decision to step away from red-ball cricket at this stage of his career? Let us know what you think.