Srinath retires from Test cricket

India's pace spearhead, Javagal Srinath, on Saturday announced his retirement from Test cricket.

Srinath said he would now concentrate on next year's World Cup.

"I today announce my retirement from Test cricket," the bowler told a news conference in Bangalore.

Srinath (32) played in the five-game series in the Caribbean won 2-1 by West Indies last month and had been expected to lead the pace attack in the tour of England starting later this month.

But he said: "It has been in my mind for quite some time, six-seven months. I still have some cricket left in me and would like to focus on the World Cup (in South Africa next year)."

The bowler has been in and out of the one-day squad in the last two years and was not selected for the current West Indies series, but he remained confident of making it to the World Cup.

Srinath has taken 232 wickets at an average of 30.46 in 64 Test appearances spanning more than a decade since making his debut in Australia in 1991-92.

He has been the fast-bowling spearhead since the retirement of Kapil Dev in 1994 but his decision comes after conceding 42.92 runs apiece for his 13 wickets in the Caribbean series.

Mail Cricket Editor