Published: Aug 24, 2015, 06:08 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 24, 2015, 06:08 PM (IST)
Michael Clarke congratulated Kumar Sangakkara on his fine international cricket career on social media site Twitter. Sangakkara was bestowed with a lot of wishes and goodwill from round the world after he announced his retirement before the start of the three-Test series against India. Sri Lanka won the first Test at Galle after being in a corner. It was Dinesh Chandimal‘s unbeaten 162 that set up a thrilling collapse from India. The visitors though leveled the series with a 278-run win at the P Sara Oval, Colombo to marr the retirement of the Sri Lankan great. Read: Kumar Sangakkara’s farewell speech: A transcript
Huge congrats to @KumarSanga2 on an amazing career. Great player and terrific guy.
— Michael Clarke (@MClarke23) August 24, 2015
Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara bid a tearful farewell to international cricket on Monday and was immediately offered the post of the island’s top envoy in Britain where he plays county cricket. Several thousand cheering fans, many of them school children waving Sri Lankan flags, along with VIPs, turned out to farewell Sangakkara on the final day of the second Test between his team and India in Colombo. “You have been a great honour to Sri Lanka,” Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said in a televised ceremony at P. Sara Oval for the formidable cricketer after the match. Read: Kumar Sangakkara welcome to ‘Former Cricketers’ Club’ by Sunil Gavaskar
Sangakkara, who turns out for Surrey in English county cricket, did not directly address Sirisena’s announcement on the diplomatic post, later telling reporters he had been unprepared for the gesture. “It was a surprise, I have to go and think about it and discuss with his excellency (the president)” Sangakkara said. During the formal sendoff, the 37-year-old broke down as he thanked his parents for standing by him during his 15 years of cricket. Read: Virat Kohli presents Kumar Sangakkara Indian jersey signed by players as tribute
With inputs from AFP.
