Muttiah Muralitharan has said he will retire from Test cricket at the end of Sri Lanka's home series against West Indies in November 2010. Speaking at the end of the first ODI against Pakistan, in which he was awarded the Man of the Match, Murali said he will focus on representing his country in one-day cricket until the 2011 World Cup and thereafter will stick to Twenty20 cricket.
Speaking at the end of the first ODI against Pakistan, in which he won the Man-of-the-Match award, the 37-year-old Murali said he would focus on playing one-day cricket until the 2011 World Cup, to be held in the subcontinent, and would thereafter stick to Twenty20 cricket.
"I am not going to play for a long time. Next year's West Indies series will be the last two Test matches I will be playing," Muralitharan said. "That's the right time for me because I will be 38 years old. The 2011 World Cup is my aim, but I will enjoy playing Twenty20 cricket for a few more years.
Murali, 37, is the world's leading wicket-taker in Test cricket with 770 at 22.18 from 127 Tests.
Murali's milestones
August, 1992 - Murali made his Test debut against Australia at the Khettarama Stadium and took 3 for 141.
December, 1995 - No-balled by Darrell Hair seven times for a suspect action during the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.
March, 1997 - Became the first Sri Lankan to reach 100 Test wickets.
January, 2002 - Became the fastest to reach the 400-wicket landmark. It took him only 72 Tests.
May, 2004: Went past Courtney Walsh's record for the most Test wickets when he claims his 520th wicket.
July, 2007 Reached the 700-wicket milestone in his 113th Test. The last 100 wickets came in 12 Tests.
