Star resigns amid war of words

Sri Lankan great and second all-time Twenty20 international run-scorer Mahela Jayawardene has tendered his resignation from the shortest format, to Sri Lanka Cricket, effective immediately.

The resignation comes on the back of a war of words between Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and the Sri Lanka Cricket governing body, ignited just a day after the World T20-winning team returned home as national heroes.

The former skippers sparked the row by criticising cricket officials during a red-carpet reception at the airport, but the board hit back with a strongly-worded statement.

Sangakkara and Jayawardene told reporters at the airport on Tuesday there were serious disagreements about their retirement from T20 cricket.

Jayawardene said his remarks to a local newspaper – that the tournament may be his final T20 appearance – had been taken as notice of his intention to retire, and based on that he had been criticised by a cricket board official.

"I am disappointed and hurt that an official went public criticising us without first asking us whether we actually made those remarks," he told reporters shortly after landing.

"I agree with what he says," Sangakkara added.

Sri Lanka Cricket denied allegations that they had made any disparaging remarks against the duo after they appeared to announce their retirement as the World T20 tournament got underway in Bangladesh in mid-March.

"SLC considers such statements as damaging to both the image of the institution and the officials concerned," the board said in a one-page statement.

It said Jayawardene's allegations were taken seriously because he suggested that the purported remarks by board secretary Nishantha Ranatunga and CEO Ashley de Silva could have demoralised the players.

"SLC regrets such unsubstantiated accusations levelled against the secretary and CEO by a senior member of the national team without verifying the facts," the statement said.

Amid the allegations and denials, both players maintained on Tuesday that they had never publicly announced their intention to quit T20 cricket before, despite giving interviews talking about retirement.

Cricket commentators as well as local and international media played up the final game as a farewell match for the two former Sri Lankan skippers.

On Tuesday tens of thousands of fans joined an all-night party in Colombo after the team was driven in a slow motorcade from the airport, 35 kilometres (21 miles) from downtown Colombo.

The victory on Sunday night against India in Dhaka came 18 years after Sri Lanka's triumph in the 50-over World Cup.