Just days after the Sri Lankan selectors announced the return of Sanath Jayasuriya to the Sri Lankan ODI and T20 squad, for the upcoming series against England, the dashing all-rounder has announced that he would retire from international cricket, after the first ODI of the five-match series.

“I called here to inform [you of] my retirement from all forms of cricket, after 20 years of play,” he told reporters today in Colombo. “I'll retire after playing a one-day and a T20 game.”

Sri Lanka will play a T20 against England on June 25 before the first ODI on June 28, which will be the last time spectators will witness the iconic all-rounder in action.

The former captain of Sri Lanka, who turns 42 this year, was one of Sri Lanka’s stars in the 1996 World Cup win. With 1500 fours and 210 sixers under his belt, he is considered to be one of the most fearsome strikers of the cricket ball.

Jayasuriya's belligerent approach against the new ball in the first 15 overs, in 1995 and 1996, when teams took a more conservative approach to batting against the new ball, changed cricket forever.