I was not surprised at MI’s decision not to have retained me, discloses Lasith Malinga
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Lasith Malinga, after joining Mumbai Indians as their bowling mentor, has revealed that he was aware that the franchise would not retain him for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League. Malinga has also hinted that he will announce his retirement from the international cricket soon.
The auction for the upcoming IPL season was held in Bangalore on January 27 and 28 where the Sri Lankan pacer failed to find a bidder. In the last season, he was part of the Mumbai Indians franchise, but the team ignored his credentials and decided to retain Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah before the start of the auction. However, Mumbai Indians handed the highest wicket-taker in the history of the league the role of the bowling mentor for this season and Malinga claimed that he knew about the franchise’s plan and was not surprised after going unsold.Â
I don't think I will play international cricket anymore. I am planning to announce my retirement soon.
Lasith Malinga, on his retirement
"Everyone gets that signal. Even the great Wasim Akram knew when his time was up. 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”, Malinga told PTI.
"I am 34 years old and not getting any younger. 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
Malinga played 110 IPL matches in his career claiming 154 wickets at an average of 19.01. The 34-year-old made his international debut in July 2004 against Australia in the longest format of the game and since then, featured in 30 Tests, 204 ODIs, and 68 T20Is for the Lankan Lions bagging 101, 301, and 90 wickets respectively. Due to his long run-up and unconventional action, his career was often marred by injuries which affected his performance at the international level and that forced him to think about his retirement.
"Mentally, I am over with playing cricket," Malinga said.Â
"I don't think I will play international cricket anymore. I am planning to announce my retirement soon. I have not spoken to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) but once I go back, I will have to again go through the 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."
