COLOMBO: Sri Lanka`s former skipper Angelo Mathews said on Friday he will retire from Tests after playing in the first match against Bangladesh next month but will continue whiteball cricket.

The 37-year-old will leave the longest format of the game after a Test career of 16 years, which began with a match against Pakistan in July 2009 at the Galle stadium. His final Test appearance, his 119th, will also be at the same venue from June 17.

`I stand grateful to the game andthankfultothe thousands of Sri Lanka cricket fans who have been there for me throughout my career during my highest of highs and lowest of lows,` he said. `Now seems like the best time to make way for a younger player to take the mantle to shine for our nation.

He has scored 8,167 runs in the 118 Tests he has played so far. He has also taken 33 wickets, giving away 1,798 runs.-AFP