Jayawardene's batting form has suffered in recent months

Batsman Mahela Jayawardene is to step down as Sri Lanka captain.

He will give up the job following a two-match Test series in Pakistan, which begins on 22 February.

Jayawardene has been in charge since 2006 and has led the team to 15 wins in 26 Tests, losing only seven, and to the final of the 2007 World Cup.

But the 31-year-old said: "After much thought, I have concluded that the right time has now come for fresh leadership to take over."

Sri Lanka won a one-day series in Pakistan 2-1 last month but have since lost five out of six home matches to India and Jayawardene was dropped from the team for Tuesday's Twenty20 match in Colombo, when they were led by Tillakaratne Dilshan, because of his own poor form.

Dilshan could be a candidate to succeed Jayawardene as full-time skipper, although Kumar Sangakkara may be favourite for the job.

606: DEBATE Who should succeed Jayawardene as captain?

Jayawardene, who was voted ICC captain of the year in 2006, is Sri Lanka's most successful skipper in statistical terms, having won 62.5% of Tests and 57% of limited overs matches.

And he explained that giving up the job was "not an easy decision" because it had been a "source of enormous pride".

But he said: "This is something I have been considering for some time as it has been my long-held belief that my successor should have at least 18 months in the job to imprint his vision on the team for the 2011 World Cup.

"I look forward now to extending my full support to my successor and hope to play a major part in the team's success during the coming years as a batsman."

Jayawardene has played 100 Tests and 299 one-day internationals and has scored more than 16,000 runs for Sri Lanka in all forms of the game.

His 24 Test centuries are a national record and he is still ranked the sixth best batsman in the world Test rankings, currently headed by Shivnarine Chanderpaul of West Indies.

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