Angelos Mathews is calling it quits on his test career. The 37-year-old Sri Lankan cricket star made the announcement on May 23. He’ll play his last test match against Bangladesh in June.
Mathews started his test career in 2009 against Pakistan at the Galle stadium. Now, he’s retiring as the third-highest run-scorer for Sri Lanka in test cricket. He’s scored 8,167 runs in 118 test matches. Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara are the only ones ahead of him.
Mathews isn’t quitting cricket entirely, though. He’ll still play one-day internationals and Twenty20 matches. In 226 one-day internationals, he’s scored 5,916 runs and taken 126 wickets. In 90 Twenty20 matches, he has 1,416 runs and 45 wickets.
With 15,499 runs and 204 wickets under his belt, Mathews has cemented his status as a top all-rounder. He’s hit 19 centuries and 91 fifties throughout his career. His last test match will be at the same Galle stadium where he began.
The two-test series between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh starts on June 17. Mathews will only play the match in Galle.
He’s had an incredible run, and fans will get to see him in action a bit longer – just not in test matches. His announcement was met with a mix of shock and appreciation for his dedication to the sport.