Sri Lanka speedster Lasith Malinga, on Thursday, stated that he will soon call time on international cricket now that his eventful Indian Premier League career is over. Malinga, on Wednesday, was appointed as bowling mentor of Mumbai Indians.
The Sri Lankan was one of the lynchpins of the Mumbai Indians side, helping them win three titles. Malinga has played in 110 matches of the 157 games the franchise has played so far. “Mentally, I am over with playing cricket. I don’t think I will play anymore international cricket; I am planning to announce my retirement soon,” Malinga said.
“I have not spoken to Sri Lanka Cricket but once I go back, I will have to again go through domestic grind, see how my body responds. But now, as my IPL career is also over and I am starting a new chapter with Mumbai Indians, I might not play again,” he added.
Malinga knows it would be tough not to play in front of a capacity Wankhede Stadium crowd wearing the Mumbai Indians blue jersey but admitted that he knew that his time was up. “Everyone gets that signal. Even the great Wasim Akram knew when his time was up,” he said.
“I was not surprised at their decision not to have retained me. I had 10 very good years with Mumbai Indians and I achieved a lot. But this year, the owners spoke to me and told me about their vision going forward. They wanted to create a good team for the next three years. I also understand that my time in competitive cricket is over now.”
The Sri Lankan said he is looking forward to being a mentor. “I am 34-years-old and not getting any younger. And I feel this is the right time to make a career move. Mumbai Indians had the mentorship role in mind and I am happy to start a new innings,” Malinga said.
‘Bumrah a great death bowler
Malinga is IPL’s all-time highest wicket-keeper. Overall, in T20I cricket, he has taken 331 T20 wickets across 248 games, “My job as a mentor will now give me an opportunity to guide the next crop of fast bowlers. I will pass on my knowledge to them and also it will be an opportunity to assess myself in the coaching arena,” he said.
Malinga acknowledged the emergence of Jasprit Bumrah in Mumbai Indians outfit, and sees a lot of him in the Indian. “Bumrah has emerged as a great death bowler. He has the skill sets which I also had – bowling at the death overs under pressure. For that you need a different temperament as IPL is a high-pressure tournament,” he said.
“What makes me even more proud is the fact that he has transformed his IPL success into international cricket. I was so happy to see him perform so well in South Africa. His biggest quality is the ability to be consistent.”
(With PTI inputs)
