Former Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardena who is retiring from test cricket today said in his emotional farewell speech that his great mate Kumar Sangakkara has a “little bit of cricket left in him.”

"I love you all, thank you so much for the support all these years. I still have a little bit left and I promise I'll give it my all for the World Cup,” Mahela Jayawardena told cheering Sri Lankan cricket fans who gathered in thousands to bid farewell to the great cricketer.

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“ It's been great to play for Sri Lanka. I've always worn this cap with pride and passion."

Mahela thanked his school, Nalanda College, his sports club the SSC, the SLC and President Mahinda Rajapaksa who also graced the occasion.

“I love you all, thank you so much for the support all these years. I still have a little bit left and I promise I'll give it my all for the World Cup," he added.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa presented the great cricketer a “golden bat” worth Rs. 2.5 million as a memento. The president of Nalanda College Old Boys' Association and the President of the Sinhalese Sports Club also presented him mementos during the presentation ceremony.

Following the victory of the test series against Pakistan, Mahela was carried around the boundary on the shoulders of his teammates.A group of junior cricketers from Nalanda College, raised their bats in a guard of honour .

Misbah Ul Haq, captain of Pakistan, commenting on Mahela Jayawardena’s farewell said, “Not only Sri Lankans, all fans all over the world are going to miss him. I really wish him best of luck in his coming life. He will be around in one-day cricket, but in this format everybody is going to miss him. He is really a legend.”

Thousands of cricket fans lit firecrackers as one the greatest cricketers of their time, a legend, bid farewell to test cricket in style, under dark clouds roaming over Colombo.