Parent of carrom ball Ajantha Mendis said goodbye to cricket

Sri Lanka’s Ajantha Mendis, popularly known as the Mystery Spinner, the father of Carrom Ball, has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.

Sri Lanka’s Ajantha Mendis, popularly known as the Mystery Spinner, the father of Carrom Ball, has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. Mendis played his last international match against New Zealand in 2015 in Christchurch.

The 34-year-old Mendis was known for his mysterious bowling. In his early career, playing him proved to be a problem for good batsmen.

The off-spin bowler, who made his debut against the West Indies in April 2008, took 152 wickets in 87 ODIs for his country. Mendis has 70 wickets in 19 Tests. The right-arm bowler has taken 66 wickets in 39 T20 Internationals.

Mendis took India’s six-wicket haul (6/13) in the Asia Cup final the year he made his debut, and Mendis was on the world stage ever since. Over time, though, batsmen from all over the world had cut Mendis’ mystery, due to which he was proving to be ineffective.

While retiring, Mendis is taking a big record. That record is the fastest to take 50 wickets in ODIs. This record is still in Mendis’s name. He completed 50 wickets in 19 matches. India’s Ajit Agarkar and New Zealand’s Mitchell McClenaghan finished second in 23 matches with a half-century of wickets.