Thursday Feb 19, 2026
Thursday Feb 19, 2026
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Sri Lanka last won the World Cup in 1996 and were beaten in the final in 2007 and 2011.
The 37-year-old Jayawardene ended his test career on a high as his team beating Pakistan by 105 runs to take the two-match series 2-0. Victory sparked memorable scenes with the master batsman congratulated by President Mahinda Rajapaksa before being carried around the ground by his team mates amid the lighting of firecrackers.“Right now I don’t have any plans and I’ve not signed any contracts,” Jayawardene told a packed news conference. “It all depends on what kind of interest I get in the next six months or so. For me right now the thing is to get myself motivated for the next World Cup, to get myself fit and ready. I can’t guarantee I will be part of the squad but my focus will be to try to get another winner’s medal.”
Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara were given a fitting farewell when they retired from Twenty20 cricket as Sri Lanka beat India in the final in Dhaka in April.
Right-hander Jayawardene, who compiled 11,814 runs at an average of 49.84 in his 149 tests, said the most treasured moment of his 17-year international career was getting his hands on his first cap.
He made his debut against India in Colombo in 1997 in a match where Sri Lanka amassed the highest total in test cricket – 952 for six declared.
“The best day of my life was receiving my first test cap from Captain Arjuna Ranatunga,” said Jayawardene. “I place a huge value on that cap. I feel very honoured to wear this cap and it’s not an easy thing to let go. This is a great thing in Sri Lanka cricket. Everyone wears it with a lot of pride and passion.” Jayawardene said it was the “right time” to quit the longer form of the game. “The decision for me to retire was something I have been thinking about for some time,” he explained.
“It was just a gut feeling but I’ve always gone with my gut feeling. Given the fact that we won’t have any home test cricket for another 12 months it’s time for a new generation to take over and move on. I will try and help in that rebuilding process as far as I can but I don’t think I have the patience to become a coach having played in the team for 17 years,” said Jayawardene.
