Malinga may quit international cricket after India series

TIL Desk Sports/ Veteran Sri Lanka pacer Lasith Malinga says he will assess his future in international cricket after the current limited overs series against India, saying he will call it quits the moment his performance drops. Malinga took his 300th ODI wicket when he dismissed Virat Kohli in the fourth match, which the hosts lost by 168 runs to concede a 4-0 series lead on Thursday.

“I am playing after 19 months following a leg injury. In the Zimbabwe and India series I couldn’t play well. I will see where I am at after this series, and evaluate how long I can play given the way my body is.

“No matter how experienced I am — if I can’t win a match for the team and do what the team needs, there is no point in me being here. I will see if I can make up for that 19 months and regain that form over the next three or four months,” Malinga said.

A day before the match, which the hosts lost by 168 runs, he had expressed hope of playing until the next World Cup. But based on his form lately, he admitted that the future is up for consideration. “I will see the number of games that I get. If not I will have to consider the state of my body, and what is expected of me. If I can’t deliver that, then I will happily retire.”