Kumar Sangakkara has no regrets over quitting international cricket

Former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara is arguably one of the best cricketers to have played the game. He has been a stalwart in every sense of the word. Sangakkara retired from international cricket in 2015. However, he has continued to play the T20 leagues and the domestic games across the globe since then. His form with the bat has seen no dip whatsoever.

Recently, he plundered five consecutive tons for his County outfit in England. Some speculated that perhaps Kumar Sangakkara quit his international cricket a little too early. However, if the man himself is to be believed, Sangakkara has no regrets about the same. In a recent conversation with Harsha Bhogle for Cricbuzz, Sangakkara spoke at length about the various aspects of his cricketing life.

He noted that he would certainly be lying if he says he has no regrets. He cited that the team could only win one World Cup out of the five opportunities that beckoned. Similarly, Test wins in Australia and India eluded the team. But, not thinking too much about these, Kumar Sangakkara is keen on looking at the brighter picture.

He conceded that he chose to play in England because it allows him to stay at the same place for long periods and that too, with his family. International cricket, on the other hand, would have demanded frequent traveling and would have meant lesser family time.

The overall picture

He is happy with the overall picture of the things that he has achieved because of cricket. Cricket gave him the opportunity to travel the world at a age much younger than most others. He feels “real joy of playing the sport comes with interactions you have with other people.”

Happiest moments

When asked to share the happiest moments he has had on the field, Kumar Sangakkara chose to pick up the dressing room chats and the celebratory drinks with the team mates to be the one. He remarked that the long gutsy knocks showed the character and temperament. But the actual moments of joy were off the field.