Sri Lanka Captain and renowned pacer Lasith Malinga is rethinking his decision to retire after the next year’s T20 World Cup, saying he wants to carry on for another two years.
In March, Malinga stated that he wants to retire after the Twenty20 World Cup which is scheduled to be held on October-November in Australia next year. But the 36-year-old, Sri Lankan captain in the shortest format now reveals his thoughts of playing beyond that.
Malinga, speaking to ESPNCricinfo, said, “T20 is four overs and I feel with my skill, I can manage T20 as a bowler. As a captain, because I’ve played so many T20s around the world that I feel I can manage that period for maybe another two years.” The veteran said he is waiting to hear from Sri Lanka Cricket on whether he would be leading the side in the Twenty20 World Cup series.
He added, “Sri Lankan Cricket has said that for the World Cup I have to be leading there but you never know in Sri Lanka.”
The only bowler with 100 T20 International wickets said Sri Lanka needed continuity in leadership for a lasting change of fortunes after a period of a slump.
“Sri Lanka is lacking that skillful bowler, they lack those consistencies. We can’t get one year, one and a half years, all fixed, it might be that we need to get patient, maybe two or three years,” the veteran pacer said.
“Consistency is very important. I feel whoever is doing the next selection has to understand that (for) people (to learn), they have to be there. If he’s on the bench, nobody can learn,” he added. Malinga said the only way he could contribute to the game in the country is by continuing to play.
“If I believe I can give something to the youngsters, then I need to be there. I can tell, but now I can show them ‘this is the way how you do it.’ But if I don’t play then I can’t do that,” he said.
