The 25-year-old, who has previously played domestic cricket in Sri Lanka, is likely to board a plane there if the Yorkshireman fails a fitness Test before the first Test in Galle next month.

Herath’s swansong next month will give the 40-year-old the opportunity to jump up to seventh in the list – ahead of New Zealand’s Richard Hadlee (431), Broad (432) and India’s Kapil Dev (434).