Tillakaratne Dilshan whose exploits in the top-order have won Sri Lanka a lot of matches has decided to announce retirement from Test cricket with immediate effect, a Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) media release stated today.
Reports suggest that Dilshan in all likelihood will hold a press conference tomorrow to confirm the news about his retirement.
Dilshan said in a statement that his decision to retire from Test cricket will give youngsters the opportunity to play for the national and also give enough time to groom that player.
Dilshan was suppose to announce his retirement from Test cricket after the Zimbabwe series but unfortunately the tour did not go ahead as scheduled and was postponed.
Sri Lanka were initially scheduled to tour Zimbabwe in October, which included two Tests.
Dilshan will however be seen playing for Sri lanka in the shorter format as well as the one-day matches and would like to continue playing till the 2015 World Cup scheduled to be held in Australia and New-Zealand.
Dilshan has played 87 matches, scoring 5492 runs at an average of 40.98. He made his debut against Zimbabwe in 1999 at Bulawayo.
He has scored 16 Test centuries and his career-best of 193 runs came against England at Lord's in 2011 when he was the captain of the side.
Dilshan was no mug with the ball as he took 39 wickets with a personal best figures of four for 10 against Bangladesh in Chittagong in 2009.
