Sri Lanka's de Silva retires from tests

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http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/021003/80/db0w8.html

Sri Lanka’s Aravinda de Silva, the world’s longest-serving current international player, has retired from test cricket.

The head of the country’s selectors said on Thursday de Silva, a stylish attacking right-handed batsman, had asked not to be considered for a two-test series in South Africa later this month, although he would be available for the one-day series.

“He sent me a letter and we had a discussion. He felt he needed to spend more time with his family,” said selection committee chairman Guy de Alwis.

"From a Sri Lankan cricket point of view it is a sad day, but he will still be available for the one-day team.

“Aravinda is a gentleman who decided it was time to give a younger player a chance.”

De Silva, currently travelling to Britain for an exhibition match, said during the just-concluded ICC Champions Trophy that he was ready to retire but would see if he was wanted for next year’s World Cup in South Africa.

The 36-year-old is Sri Lanka’s leading test and one-day international run-scorer. He scored 6,361 runs, including 20 centuries, at an average of 42.97 in 93 tests.

De Silva, who made his debut against England in 1984, scored a double century against Bangladesh in his last test appearance.

Only Indians Sachin Tendulkar with 11,544 and Mohammad Azharuddin with 9,378 have scored more than de Silva’s 8,803 one-day runs. He also scored a match-winning century as Sri Lanka won the World Cup against Australia in 1996.

De Silva’s recall to the one-day team in August after more than a year on the sidelines has coincided with a swift turnaround in form for Sri Lanka, who had previously managed just one win from six matches in a triangular series against England and India.

Since his comeback, Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh 3-0, won the Morocco Cup against Pakistan and South Africa and shared the Champions Trophy with India after the final was rained off.

De Silva won the man of the match award – for his occasional off-spin bowling – in the semi-finals against Australia.

I think he is not only the best batsmen Sri Lanka has produced but duirng his peak was one of the best in the world.

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Mad Max as he was known was one of the greatest batsmen that ruled latter half of the nineties - a complete batsmen was the mainstay of the Sri Lankan batting and excelled in both forms of the game.

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I think Wasim needs to do the same, retire from test cricket and concentrate on one days.

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A tribute to MadMax

Aravinda De Silva’s career at a glance
Mohandas Menon

Country: Sri Lanka

Known as: Aravinda deSilva

Born: Colombo, 17-10-1965

Type: Right hand middle-order batsman and right arm off-break bowler

Teams: Nondescripts Cricket Club (from 1988-1989), Kent (in 1995) & Auckland

First-class debut: 1983-84 (for Sri Lanka)

Test debut: v England at Lord’s, 1984

Last Test: v Pakistan at Peshawar, 1999-00

Highest Test score: 267 v New Zealand at Wellington, 1990-91

Best Test bowling: 3-30 v New Zealand at Colombo (SSC), 1997-98

Test captaincy record: (1991 to 1998-1999): P6, W0, L4, D2

Career Statistics:
TESTS



Batting & Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St 
93 159 11 6361 267 42.97 20 22 43 0 


Bowling O M R W Ave BBI 5 10 SR Econ 
432.3 77 1208 29 41.65 3-30 0 0 89.4 2.79

ONE-DAY INTERNATIONALS



Batting & Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 Ct St 
288 278 30 8803 145 35.49 81.19 11 60 88 0 


Bowling O M R W Ave BBI 4w 5w SR Econ 
754.5 24 3663 92 39.81 4-45 1 0 49.2 4.85

Against each team



Team M I NO Runs HS1 HS2 HS3 Ave 100 50 0 Ct St 
Australia 12 19 2 803 167 85 78 47.24 1 6 - 4 - 
England 11 19 - 739 152 106 88 38.89 2 2 - 5 - 
India 19 32 2 1252 148 146 126 41.73 5 3 - 9 - 
New Zealand 12 20 - 785 267 123 96 39.25 2 4 2 7 - 
Pakistan 21 38 3 1475 168 138* 127 42.14 8 1 3 10 - 
South Africa 7 13 - 461 82 77 68 35.46 - 3 - 4 - 
West Indies 3 6 1 228 78 53 47 45.60 - 2 1 - - 
Zimbabwe 7 11 3 412 143* 75 41* 51.50 1 1 1 4 - 
Bangladesh 1 1 - 206 206 - - 206.00 1 - - - - 
TOTAL 93 159 11 6361 267 206 168 42.98 20 22 7 43 -

Bowling: Has taken 29 wickets (average: 41.66)

His batting dismissls



Team BW Ct Cwk Cb St Lb RO Oth Nemeses 
Australia 1 9 2 1 - 4 - - CJ McDermott 3, SK Warne 3 
England - 10 6 1 - 1 1 - DV Lawrence 2, AR Caddick 2 
India 6 16 2 - - 5 1 - A Kumble 7, Maninder Singh 3 
New Zealand - 9 6 1 - 4 - - DL Vettori 4, DK Morrison 2 
Pakistan 2 13 8 3 1 7 - 1 Imran Khan 4, Waqar Younis 4 
South Africa - 5 3 1 1 2 1 - BN Schultz 2, PL Symcox 2 
West Indies 2 2 1 - - - - - WKM Benjamin 1, CEL Ambrose 1 
Zimbabwe 2 2 1 3 - - - - HH Streak 3, PA Strang 2 
Bangladesh - - - - - 1 - - Enamul Hoque 1 

TOTAL (148) 13 66 29 10 2 24 3 1 A Kumble 7, Imran Khan/DL Vettori 4

Performance Analysis by Year
(calculated for matches beginning in named year)



Batting Year M Inns NO 50s 100s  HS  Runs  Avg  Ca  St 
1984  1  2  0  0  0  16  19  9.50  0  0  
1985  6  11  1  1  2  122  418  41.80  1  0  
1986  5  9  1  0  0  37  160  20.00  4  0  
1987  1  2  0  0  0  21  29  14.50  0  0  
1988  2  4  0  0  0  18  34  8.50  3  0  
1989  2  3  0  2  1  167  314  104.67  1  0  
1990  1  2  0  0  0  7  12  6.00  2  0  
1991  6  9  0  1  2  267  603  67.00  4  0  
1992  6  8  0  3  0  85  301  37.63  3  0  
1993  8  14  1  5  1  148  656  50.46  2  0  
1994  8  15  1  0  1  127  326  23.29  1  0  
1995  6  12  0  1  1  105  282  23.50  2  0  
1996  3  4  0  0  0  35  73  18.25  1  0  
1997  11  19  3  2  7  168  1220  76.25  7  0  
1998  8  14  2  3  2  152  682  56.83  5  0  
1999  5  7  2  3  0  78  293  58.60  4  0  
2000  6  11  0  0  1  112  306  27.82  3  0  
2001  4  7  0  0  1  106  224  32.00  0  0  
2002  4  6  0  1  1  206  409  68.17  0  0  
Overall (19)  93  159  11  22  20  267  6361  42.98  43  0  

Bowling Year  O  M  R  W  5w  10w  Best  Avg  S/R  E/R 
Year  O  M  R  W  5w  10w  Best  Avg  S/R  E/R  
1985  5  0  22  0  0  0           4.40  
1988  1  0  2  0  0  0           2.00  
1989  33  3  110  3  0  0  2/65  36.67  66.00  3.33  
1991  14  0  86  0  0  0           6.14  
1992  4  2  8  0  0  0           2.00  
1993  42  5  106  5  0  0  3/39  21.20  50.40  2.52  
1994  31  5  79  3  0  0  3/50  26.33  62.00  2.55  
1995  61.3  7  192  6  0  0  2/29  32.00  61.50  3.13  
1996  9  2  18  0  0  0           2.00  
1997  9  2  23  0  0  0           2.55  
1998  104.2  26  258  7  0  0  3/30  36.86  89.43  2.48  
1999  33.2  2  108  2  0  0  2/59  54.00  100.00  3.25  
2000  38.5  12  79  1  0  0  1/49  79.00  233.00  2.05  
2001  8  4  12  0  0  0           1.50  
2002  38.3  8  105  2  0  0  1/63  52.50  115.50  2.74  
Overall (15)  432.3  78  1208  29  0  0  3/30  41.66  89.48  2.79

Photo feature

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A really good batsman no doubt. :k: Wish him all the best for his life.