Sri Lanka v New Zealand, 2nd ODI, Colombo, 4 November, 2012

Lasith Malinga wrote:Reverse swing came naturally to you with your action. Are you disappointed that you no longer play Tests, where reverse swing is more effective than in other formats? Definitely I am sad about that. I came into the national team as a Test cricketer. I learnt a lot from playing Tests - how to bowl with the new ball, how to get the better of a batsman once the ball had become old, and it showed me how to always look for wickets. It makes me sad that I can't play Tests anymore because of my injury. I only played 30 Tests, but what I learnt in those matches has helped me get a lot of ODI and T20 wickets.

It was only in my 29th Test that I learnt to reverse the ball in both directions. In that match I took seven wickets, against India in Galle. After that series I wasn't able to play any more Tests because of my knee injury. I always ask why that happened to me.

You retired from Tests in the middle of an IPL, after you had been named in a Test squad to England. Why didn't you announce your retirement earlier? I picked up this injury in 2008, and that's when I had a long time away from Tests. For three years, no one looked at me for Test selection, no one looked to see how I was bowling. But in 2010, when Murali aiya was retiring, he talked to me and said, "Mali, this is my last match. Do you want to come and play another Test with me?" I respect Murali aiya a lot, and no one can ever say a bad thing about him, so I thought, "Even if this is my last Test as well, even if I break my leg playing it, it doesn't matter." In three years I hadn't even played a two-day match. But still, I was able to be the Man of the Match, by taking seven wickets and making 64 runs, and Murali aiya got to take his 800th wicket.

I only played that Test because he asked me. After 2008, I had given up any thoughts of playing Test cricket. The reason was that the knee injury I have is something only four or five other people in the world have - mostly Aussie Rules football players, no cricketers. My doctor told me it would never get better, and that I might have to give up cricket altogether. There was a small chance it would get better, but I would have to spend a long time away from the game. Luckily I got to the stage where I can bowl a few overs a day, but that's why I had to give up Test cricket.

When you played all three formats, which did you enjoy the most?
I loved playing Tests because you get the chance to bowl so much. In ODIs it's only ten overs and in T20s it's four, but in Tests you can bowl 20-25 overs a day. Because of that, in Tests you gain a lot of experience, and learn what to do in specific situations. How should you bowl with the new ball in the morning? How should you bowl in the afternoon when it's hot? How to bowl at the end of the day? But I can't do that anymore, and there's no point dwelling on the past. I can only play well in whatever formats I can still play in.

You don't think you will ever play Tests again, then?
I'm 29 now. I think I will only have three or four more years to play. I think going back to Tests now would be very difficult. I've been away from Tests for one and a half or two years. I have 100 Test wickets now, and I feel like if I were to play again, I would want to get to at least 150 wickets. To do that I would have to play at least ten or 15 Tests, and I don't think I can do that, given how bad my injury is. I think it's much better for the team if a new bowler comes through and plays three or four years at a stretch than if I play for just a few.

tricycle wrote:radiosport aren't covering this tour live. Seems SLC may have increased the rates for rights for this series.

Henry wrote:Someone needs to tell them they're not the BCCI. Dunno what's going on with SLC recently. First they cancel a spate of tests in order to play more ODIs and T20s, now they raise the rates on foreign broadcasters.