The Sri Lankan quick is set to hang up his boots in the international formats after the India tour
Sri Lankan quick Suranga Lakmal has signed a two-yeat contract with county cricket side Derbyshire, returning to the mentorship of Mickey Arthur, who took over as director of the club in 2021. The experienced player left fans puzzled after he announced his retirement from international cricket post the Sri Lankan’s upcoming tour of India which is set to begin later this month.
Lakmal is one of Sri Lanka’s experienced campaigners, having represented the side in 68 Test matches, where he picked up 168 wickets. He has been leading the attack in the national team for some time now, especially given his ability to bowl swinging deliveries up front. Lakmal has also been fairly successful in overseas conditions, something which his teammates have struggled at in recent times.
Lakmal’s retirement will come as a blow to Sri Lankan cricket, which has declined considerably over the last few years, following the retirements of the likes of Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, and Rangana Herath. There has been some turmoil within the Sri Lankan Cricket board, it would seem, given that multiple players have announced their retirements over the last year, all in untimely fashion.
Veteran allrounders Thisara Perera and Isuru Udana both announced that they would be hanging up their boots in 2022. Recently, Bhanuka Rajapaksa also announced his retirement from international cricket, only to make a U-turn a short while after. It appears that all is not well within the SLC, with Lakmal the latest to bid farewell to the side.
Meanwhile, Arthur lavished praise on Lakmal, and welcomed him to Derbyshire, as he said that he would be expecting big things from the veteran pacer. He extolled Lakmal’s quality and added that he would be an invaluable addition to the side and that the younger players could benefit a lot from his experience.
“Suranga is among Sri Lanka’s all-time greats with the ball and it’s brilliant to be able to bring him to Derbyshire for the next two seasons, We have big ambitions for the project at Derbyshire, and Suranga’s decision to retire from international cricket and commit to the club shows he’s as excited about those plans as the other players and coaches.
He knows my standards and can set the example for our young players on and off the field, and to add his quality to our ranks gives us a whole new dimension with the ball.”
Arthur said.
Lakmal had previously made it quite clear that playing county cricket was very much on his mind, and the decision to sign for Derbyshire comes as no surprise, post the appointment of his former national team coach Arthur.
The 34-year-old thanked the Sri Lankan cricket board for their faith in him over the years while making the announcement that he had decided to retire.
“Experiencing county cricket is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time and the chance to work with Mickey again was something I couldn’t turn down. I’ve loved every second of my international career, and I would like to thank Sri Lanka for giving me the opportunity to live my dream.
Hopefully, I can bring that experience into this new challenge, to help the young bowlers, who are already making an impact at Derbyshire,”
the player after joining Derbyshire, as per the club’s website.
