Sri Lanka Dhammika Prasad officially announced his retirement from international cricket on Thursday (February 18). Since debuting in an ODI against Bangladesh in 2006, Prasad has represented Sri Lanka in 25 Tests and 24 ODIs and a solitary T20I with 107 wickets in total.
Prasad, who has represented the SSC since 2002, has a total of 351 first-class wickets from 130 matches at an average of 29.1. Meanwhile, Dhammika Prasad’s last test match against the West Indies came in 2015, a breakthrough year for the sailor by the way. In nine tests that year, Prasad took 41 tests and finished among the top 10 wicket-takers of the year.
Dhammika Prasad announces retirement
From there, things went downhill as he sustained a serious shoulder injury that required surgery. He never regained his bowling spark and a comeback was beyond him, despite Sri Lanka needing a flow of fast bowlers in their ranks.
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While retiring, Dhammika Prasad said now is the best time to retire from international cricket to make way for young cricketers. However, the veteran fast bowler is committed to continuing to play domestic cricket for the next few days.
“I think now is the right time to withdraw from international cricket and give the youngsters a chance,” Prasad told the Daily News. “I have decided to continue playing domestic cricket and have been playing for the SSC for 19 years and giving my best,” he added.
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Dhammika Prasad’s best moment with the Whites of Sri Lanka came in 2014 when his second innings 5 for 90 at Headingley paved the way for the first-ever Test Series victory in England.