152701 - Samaraweera wants to retire
Thilan Samaraweera has indicated he would like to retire from international cricket in a letter to Sri Lanka Cricket, but the board is yet to accept his retirement.
"He has sent a letter saying he would like to retire from all three segments of the game, but we have told him to have a talk with the selectors before we make a final call," SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga said. Samaraweera is expected to meet with the selectors on Wednesday.
Samaraweera was one of 22 players who signed their national contracts on Monday after a 24-hour lock out over the weekend, but he was not named in Sri Lanka's squad for the first Test against Bangladesh, which begins on Friday.
At 36, Samaraweera was the oldest member of Sri Lanka's touring party to Australia, where he was woeful with the bat, making 79 runs in six Test innings. He reclaimed form in Sri Lanka's first class competition, hitting 464 runs at an average of 92.80 in four matches.
Samaraweera was originally left out of Sri Lanka's preliminary Test squad for the Bangladesh series, but was later called up when Mahela Jayawardene's finger injury ruled him out of the series. He could not find a place in the final 16, however.
Samaraweera's decision was likely brought on as much by a lack of Tests for Sri Lanka in 2013, as his non-selection. Apart from the two home Tests in March against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka have only one away tour to Zimbabwe - which it is understood Samaraweera was unlikely to attend - before a scheduled year-end tour to Pakistan. He has also signed for a full county season with Worcestershire for 2013.
Though he had received a central contract from SLC, the selectors had expressed a desire to build a youthful Test side in 2013, and Samaraweera was unlikely to play a major role in what little Test cricket Sri Lanka had scheduled.