Just as Kumar Sangakkara contemplates life after cricket before the end of the three-Test series against India, he must have some apprehension that he leaves in his wake a nation that has plummeted to the abyss of world cricket.
The Sri Lanka team will now be without the skill and experience of himself and Mahela Jayawardena who have given the game away for a life centred around family.
Retirement is a hard enough decision for many sportsmen and women, but getting the timing absolutely right is crucial if one is to walk away with universal dignity and respect intact.
Not everyone is able to time their exit to perfection but Sangakkara – at the top of the tree as a batsman – believes that he has got his timing right no matter what his standing is in the world rankings.
Quite unlike Australian skipper Michael Clarke, who had to lose the precious Ashes to realise that it was time to go, Sangakkara made his choice on his own terms with no undue pressure. He has much to offer the struggling nation being in cracking form with the bat since the World Cup, but his decision to walk away for the right reasons begs respect.
The game will be a sure loser when he exits, but Sangakkara remains firm in his opinion that form is not necessarily the criteria for prolonging one’s career. Rather, it is the timing and gut feeling that all good things must come to an end.
This is the most profound reasoning anyone with a mature outlook would understand. The only other cricketer I can recall that took a similar stance in his prime is Australian Adam Gilchrist. Gilchrist’s pinnacle appeared to be his match-winning innings against Sri Lanka in the 2007 World Cup final in the Caribbean.
He stunned the world when he announced his retirement from all forms of the game in January 2008. “Retirement is not about form, it is about time and place and whether it feels right,” said Sangakkara, who has been playing international cricket since 2000.
“It is never about whether you can play or not. Records do matter, I think,” Sangakkara told the BBC. “I would love to say records never enter my mind, but they do. There are certain things that you chase – you try to keep those goals. They are not the only things you chase, but as long as you do the right things, those things will fall into place as they come along.”
Since the departure of Sangakkara, Jayawardena and Dilshan, Sri Lanka have struggled to stay afloat under new skipper Angelo Matthews who appeared set to take over with his learning from the experienced men. But this has not transferred to the team since the departures of their long serving heroes and Sri Lanka cricket in transition appears to lack the depth and talent it needs to compete with the best.
The series against powerful India could end in a whitewash, much like the recently concluded series against Pakistan where the home team was thrashed in all formats of the game.
For Sangakkara the equation is simple, he has four innings to try and eke out a double century which will enable him to equal the most number of double tons scored by Sir Donald Bradman (12). His presence and input in the team as he chases his personal milestone could also spare the hosts some blushes after the recent debacle against the Pakistanis.
The classy left-hander has without a doubt etched his name as one of the best cricketers ever for his country the only other to challenge that title being Aravinda De Silva who does not have the same degree of support of the outstanding achievements that Sangakkara has achieved in all forms of the game.
Sangakkara joins a long list of fantastic players to exit the game as the new generation moves in and attempts to emulate the achievements and longevity that those before them have given the cricketing world.
An exquisite timer of the ball using is superior technique to collar any bowling attack with controlled aggression, Sangakkara has been a delight to watch over his fantastic career.
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