Hobart, Nov 20: Marvan Atapattu decided it was time to retire rather than leave his international future to a Sri Lanka selection panel he described as ``Muppets'' led by a joker.

Atapattu kept his place for the second test here despite his outspoken outburst during Sri Lanka's innings and 40-run defeat to Australia in the first test last week.

He scored a defiant 80 to kickstart Sri Lanka's improbable chase for 507 runs needed to win the second test and announced his retirement from cricket on Tuesday, just before Sri Lanka went down by 96 runs.

``I write to inform you that I will be retiring from international cricket for Sri Lanka with effect from Nov. 21,'' Atapattu said in a statement released at the match.

In it, he thanked his former coaches, fans and even administrators.

It was a conciliatory gesture following his comments about Sri Lanka's chairman of selectors Ashanta de Mel and the selection panel last week.

``Sri Lankan cricket, I think at this moment in time, is not going the way, the direction, it should be going,'' Atapattu said. ``Especially with the Muppets, basically, headed by a joker.''

Atapattu, who will turn 37 on Thursday, was critical of selectors for not developing young talent and for relying on veterans to fill voids on difficult tours.

He had a difficult initiation in test cricket, scoring only one run in his first six innings starting in November 1990, but finished with 5,502 runs at 39.02 in 90 tests, including six double-centuries.

Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene has been a clubmate or national teammate of Atapattu's for more than decade and said it was an emotional time for his old friend.

``It was a bit of a surprise for us as well because he made a strong comeback after not playing for some time and was very determined to show what he was capable of,'' Jayawardene said. ``He proved that to a lot of people.