Jayawardene: I won't cry. I love you all

News

Cricket365
August 19, 2014

An emotional Mahela Jayawardene bade farewell to Test match cricket, as Sri Lanka sealed a convincing 105-run triumph – and two-nil series win – over Pakistan on the fifth and final day at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.

The convincing result afforded the veteran Mahela Jayawardene, whose retirement from the longest format of the game commenced on Monday, an entirely fitting farewell in front of an appreciative crowd.

The veteran Jayawardene, who will remain available to the ODI team, finished a prolific Test match career in seventh position among the most prolific scorers. Flanked by West Indians Brian Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the talented right-hander amassed 11,814 runs in 149 matches at a superb average of 49.84.

"I don't know what to say, but I promise I won't cry. I love you all. Thank you so much for the support all these years. I still have a little bit left and I promise I'll give it my all for the World Cup," said Jayawardene.

"Thanks also to my team-mates. It's been great to play for Sri Lanka for so many years. I have always worn this cap with pride and passion. I've stitched up this cap and managed to wear it for a long time.

"It's been with me for almost 15 years now – the first few years we had a different cap. It will go in my trophy cabinet, right at the top. I've already planned that. You can't even touch Sangakarra's cap, it's in such a bad state.

"But he still plays with it. I feel very honoured to wear it. It's not easy to let it go, but there will be a lot of young talent waiting to wear this cap, and that's a great thing. I'm still wearing it on my head, because it's the last time I can do that."

He scored 34 centuries and 50 half-tons, including a highest score of 374 – 43 boundaries and a solitary six included – against the South Africans at the SSC in July 2006. 252 innings only brought 15 ducks.

"Not just me, but the cricket world, Sri Lankan fans and our whole team will feel the loss of a great player like Mahela. It will take a long time to fill that void," added team-mate Kumar Sangakkara.

The elegant right-hander is one of only five batsmen to score more than 11,000 runs in both Test and one-day cricket — the others being Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and team-mate Kumar Sangakkara.

The Sri Lankans and Pakistanis will meet for three ODIs – at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota, R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium – on 23, 27 and 30 August respectively.

"Not only Sri Lankans, fans all over the world are going to miss him. I really wish him best of luck in life. He is really a legend," concluded Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq.