Sports

Sri Lanka's Perera announces international retirement

By REUTERS

Sri Lankan all-rounder Thisara Perera. Courtesy: @cricbuzz/Twitter

Sri Lanka all-rounder Thisara Perera has announced his retirement from international cricket after nearly 12 years in the sport, the country's cricket board (SLC) said on Monday.

Perera, 32, scored 2,338 runs and took 175 wickets in one-day internationals. He was also part of the Sri Lanka team that won the Twenty20 World Cup in 2014.

'I take pride in the fact that I was able to represent Sri Lanka in seven cricket World Cups, and be a contributing member of the 2014 T20 World Cup win against India in Bangladesh,' Perera said in a statement. 'Easily the highlight of my life.'

SLC said Perera decided to retire to focus on his family life and to make way for younger players to come into the team.

'Thisara was a brilliant all-rounder, who has contributed immensely as a player to Sri Lanka Cricket and played a part in some of the glorious cricketing moments of the country,' said SLC CEO Ashley De Silva.