Hasaranga retires from Tests to focus on white-ball career

Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga has ended his Test career for the sake of his thriving white-ball fortunes. He is among the best spinners in the world, when it comes to the shortest format, and represents numerous franchises across the world along with his national team.

According to reports, Hasaranga had written to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), expressing his desire to play only white-ball cricket and giving his best in the two formats for the national team moving forward. The board has apparently accepted his request as he is officially not a Test cricketer anymore.

Mr. Ashley De Silva, CEO of SLC, released a statement on Tuesday.

"We will accept his decision and are confident that Hasaranga will be a vital part of our white-ball program going forward," the statement read.

Hasaranga's Test record seems pale in comparison to his achievements in white-ball cricket in his short career so far. He made his Test debut against South Africa in 2020 and represented Sri Lanka in a total of four Tests, the last of which came against Bangladesh in 2021.

Across his four appearances, he took four wickets at an average of 100.75. In comparison, he has taken 102 wickets in 44 first-class matches since 2016.

The ace spinner's white-ball prowess scaled new heights when he was crowned as the No. 1-ranked T20I bowler after a successful individual T20 World Cup 2022 campaign. He still remains Sri Lanka's highest-ranked bowler in the format as he holds the No. 3 spot behind Rashid Khan and Josh Hazlewood.