Rangana Herath Announces ODI and T20I Retirement, To Play Tests

Rangana Herath, Sri Lanka's premier left-arm orthodox spinner, has announced his retirement from ODIs and Twenty20 Internationals. The 38-year-old, who made his debut for Sri Lanka in 1999 against Australia in Galle, will continue to play Test matches. (Rangana Herath Sends India From Hero to Zero)

In a statement released by the Sri Lanka Cricket Board, Herath said, "Every cricketer has to stop at the right time, I feel it's time to make room for fresh talent to be groomed with the 2019 World Cup in view."

Herath has been Sri Lanka's premier strike bowler in Tests following the retirement of Muttiah Muralitharan in 2010. Since his debut in 1999, Herath was confined largely to the sidelines as Muralitharan established himself as the world's best spiner but with his departure, Sri Lanka relied heavily on Herath.

The left-arm spinner has played 71 ODIs and 17 Twenty20 Internationals, picking up 74 and 18 wickets respectively. His best performance in T20Is came in the 2014 World T20 against New Zealand in Dhaka, where he finished with figures 3.3-2-5-3, which were the third-best figures by a bowler in this format.

Herath's prowess in Test cricket has been phenomenal, taking 297 wickets in 67 Tests at an average of 29.87. He has picked up 23 five-wicket hauls and five ten-wicket hauls, with his best being 9/127 against Pakistan at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo in August 2014 in what was Mahela Jayawardene's last Test.

With Australia touring Sri Lanka in July 2016, Herath has the chance to become the third Sri Lankan bowler to take over 300 wickets in Tests behind Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas.