Stalwart Lasith Malinga is hoping that Sri Lanka can develop some genuine match-winning bowlers following his ODI retirement in front of a packed Colombo crowd on Friday.
The 35-year-old brought down the curtains on a magnificent ODI career with an excellent three-wicket haul against Bangladesh which helped the hosts to a big 91-run win in the series opener.
It means that the veteran pacer has finished his career as the ninth most prolific bowler in ODI history with 338 scalps and he is behind only Muttiah Muralitharan and Chamdinda Vaas among his countrymen.
Speaking in the presentation after an emotional farewell at the Premadasa stadium, Malinga said, “I tried my best all through my career.”
“I hope all the young bowlers do this as well. Because just surviving in cricket, I don’t think anyone can go far. You have to be a match-winner.
Lasith Malinga's Farewell - Special Moments: https://t.co/CFvNyRWtDS #ThankYouMalinga #Legend pic.twitter.com/CvgqNeulVw
— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) July 27, 2019
“That’s what I’m looking forward to in the future. These young bowlers have to get match winning performances and people have to tell that’s a match winning bowler. We have a couple of guys, they have the ability, we have to look after them.”
Malinga was Sri Lanka’s most prolific bowler in the 2019 World Cup in England where he picked up a total of 13 wickets. While he has hung up his ODI boots, the pacer still intends to continue playing T20I cricket for Sri Lanka and is aiming to feature in the 2020 T20 World Cup in Australia.
The Galle-born pacer feels that was the right time for him to move on from ODI cricket even though he has looked to be on the top of his game in recent times in the 50-over format.
“I’ve played the last 15 years for Sri Lanka,” Malinga stated.
“Really an honour to play and really happy to play for these people and for all the crowd that’s been behind me.
“I feel this is the time I have to move on because we have to build for the 2023 World Cup and that’s why I realised, okay, my time is up, I have to go.”
