Malinga

Australia's super-speedy Shaun Tait has retired from everything except T20s at the age of 28, while the one man who could have given the Sri Lankan bowling attack a cutting edge in the forthcoming series, Lasith Malinga, retired from Tests earlier this year at the age of 27.

Bowling Is Taking a Battering Richard Lord 2011

Even more than Malinga, the men Sri Lanka will miss in the current series are Muralitharan, who retired last year, and their best-ever seamer, Chaminda Vaas, who retired two years ago.

Bowling Is Taking a Battering Richard Lord 2011

Even more than Malinga, the men Sri Lanka will miss in the current series are Muralitharan, who retired last year, and their best-ever seamer, Chaminda Vaas, who retired two years ago.

Calling All Seamers! This Is Cricket's Bowling Crisis Richard Lord 2011

The subsequent retirement of Muttiah Muralitharan, and that of Lasith Malinga from Test cricket, marks the end of a glorious era in Sri Lankan cricket.

Mahela Jayawardene: 'I still get flashbacks. We're lucky to be alive' 2011

The riches on offer in the shorter T20 format enable players to opt out of the Test game and ply their trade as highly remunerated freelance hit-and-giggle specialists, appearing for domestic T20 sides as well as, in some cases, their international one, and perhaps the odd One-Day International at the moment, their ranks include such prominent names as Chris Gayle , Lasith Malinga, Shaun Tait and Andrew Symonds .

How to Save Test Cricket Richard Lord 2011

Australia's super-speedy Shaun Tait has retired from everything except T20s at the age of 28, while the one man who could have given the Sri Lankan bowling attack a cutting edge in the forthcoming series, Lasith Malinga, retired from Tests earlier this year at the age of 27.

Calling All Seamers! This Is Cricket's Bowling Crisis Richard Lord 2011

But shorter game length and the IPL's seven-week season mean it's less physically demanding than other forms of the game—something that injury-prone younger players have also noticed, including Australia's lightning-fast bowler Shaun Tait, now only playing T20 cricket at age 28, and Sri Lanka's brilliant speed merchant Lasith Malinga, retired from Tests to prolong his IPL career at age 27.

This Is the Old Guys' IPL Richard Lord 2011

Philip Brown/Reuters Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga, 27 years old, already retired from Test matches to prolong his career in the short-form IPL league.

Oldies but Goodies 2011

He had better luck two years later closer to home, in Telford, when he beat Thulane Malinga to win the WBC super-middle title.

Lamont Peterson beats Amir Khan - as it happened! | Steve Busfield 2011

Left, Sri Lankan bowler Lasith Malinga, who was named man-of-the-match after taking a wicket and scoring 37 not out.

Champions League Twenty20 2011