Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga has called an end to his Test career for the sake of his fluctuating luck in the white ball. He is one of the best spinners in the world when it comes to the shortest format and has represented several franchises across the world along with his national team. As per earlier reports, Hasaranga has written to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) expressing his desire to play only white-ball cricket and give his best in both formats for the national team going forward. The board has apparently accepted his request as he is officially no longer a Test cricketer.
Mr. Ashley De Silva, CEO of SLC, released a statement on Tuesday.
“We will accept his decision and are confident that Hasaranga will be a vital part of our white-ball program going forward,” the statement read.
Wanindu Hasaranga’s Test record pales in comparison to his achievements in white-ball cricket in his short career so far. He made his Test debut against South Africa in 2020 and has represented Sri Lanka in a total of four Tests, the last of which came against Bangladesh in 2021. In his four matches, he took four wickets at an average of 100.75. In comparison, he has taken 102 wickets in 44 first-class matches since 2016.
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Wanindu Hasaranga Is Currently the No. 3-ranked Bowler In T20s
The top spinner’s white-ball ability touched new heights when he was crowned as the No. 1-ranked T20I bowler after a successful individual T20 World Cup 2022 campaign. He still remains Sri Lanka’s highest-ranked bowler in this format as he holds the number 3 position behind Rashid Khan and Josh Hazlewood. Wanindu Hasaranga, currently representing B-Love Kandy in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2023, is one of the most sought-after candidates in the T20 franchise cricket arena.
He is also a key player in the ODI setup, as proved by his exploits in the recently concluded ODI World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe. He was the leading wicket-taker with 22 wickets as Sri Lanka won the tournament and secured World Cup qualification. The mystery spinner will undoubtedly be one of Sri Lanka’s key players in the upcoming set of tournaments like the 2023 Asia Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup, considering it is taking place in the subcontinent itself.
Sri Lanka’s current spin department is led by Prabhat Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis, among others. Wanindu Hasaranga’s fellow mystery spinner Mahesh Theeksana has also played a few Test matches in the recent past.
