Retired Sri Lanka pacer Suranga Lakmal signs 2-year deal with Derbyshire

Former Sri Lanka Test skipper Suranga Lakmal signs two-year deal with Derbyshire County Cricket Club.

Suranga Lakmal.(Source: Twitter)

After announcing retirement from international cricket, former Sri Lanka Test captain Suranga Lakmal has signed a two-year deal with Derbyshire. At Derbyshire, Lakmal will be reuniting with his former national coach Mickey Arthur, who had joined the club last year.

"Experiencing county cricket is something I've wanted to do for a long time and the chance to work with Mickey again was something I couldn't turn down. I've loved every second of my international career, and I would like to thank Sri Lanka for giving me the opportunity to live my dream. Hopefully, I can bring that experience into this new challenge, to help the young bowlers, who are already making an impact at Derbyshire," said Lakmal as reported by ESPNcricinfo.

Sri Lanka great, Suranga Lakmal, has joined #DCCC on a two-year deal

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— Derbyshire CCC (@DerbyshireCCC) February 3, 2022

Meanwhile, Arthur expressed happiness on Lakmal joining the club, as he can set an example for the young players in the team."Suranga is among Sri Lanka's all-time greats with the ball and it's brilliant to be able to bring him to Derbyshire for the next two seasons. We have big ambitions for the project at Derbyshire, and Suranga's decision to retire from international cricket and commit to the club shows he's as excited about those plans as the other players and coaches," said Arthur.

"He knows my standards and can set the example for our young players on and off the field, and to add his quality to our ranks gives us a whole new dimension with the ball," he added.

Lakmal had informed Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) that he will retire from all forms of International Cricket following the completion of the upcoming tour of India 2022.