Sri Lanka batsman Thilan Samaraweera wants to retire from all forms of cricket but bosses are trying to persuade him otherwise.

Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Nishantha Ranatunga confirmed that Samaraweera had handed a resignation letter to him on Tuesday.

"We requested Thilan to have a meaningful dialogue with the national selectors before finalising such a decision," Ranatunga told reporters.

"At a time like this when some of the senior cricketers are suffering from injuries, a cricketer of Thilan's experience is vital to the national team," he said.

Samaraweera was named as a replacement for the injured Mahela Jayawardene in the initial squad of 20 for the first Test against Bangladesh starting at Galle on March 8 but was left out when it was cut to 16.

The 36-year-old right-hand middle-order batsman has played in 81 Tests for his country since 2001 and scored 5,462 runs at an average of 48.76.

He has also appeared in 53 one-day internationals.