Sri Lanka skipper reveals he picked up achilles injury while batting in win over Scotland
Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews will be assessed over the coming days after picking up an achilles tendon injury against Scotland in Hobart. Mathews blasted the second-fastest World Cup half-century in just 20 balls as Sri Lanka piled up 9-363 in their final Pool A match, but did not take the field for Scotland’s reply that fell 148-runs short.
“I’ve got a sore Achilles tendon so the physio and the management thought it was wise to stay out of the field,” Mathews said after the match. “It was a precautionary thing. “It was pretty sore and the physio thought just not to risk it and stay out of the field. “We’ve got to assess it in the next couple of days.
” The highlight of the skipper’s swashbuckling knock was four successive sixes off Matt Machan (1-46) in the 44th over. Mathews was caught by Freddie Coleman, who had earlier dropped him, as he attempted to hit a fifth six in a row off Machan. Sri Lanka’s win cemented their third-placed spot in Pool A, with South Africa their likely quarter-final opponent, but while Kumar Sangakkara has carved out record after record, their campaign has been beset by injury worries.
The loss of allrounder Mathews would be a huge blow for Sri Lanka, the 2007 and 2011 World Cup finalists, ahead of their SCG quarter-final. “Whoever we get to play we’ve got to play it as another game and play positive cricket,” said Mathews.
“We’ve been doing pretty well in the past four games and we just have to go out there and play the same game. “Our bowling and fielding can improve quite a bit (but) the batters have been performing really well.” Dinesh Chandimal tore a hamstring while batting during Sri Lanka’s 64-run defeat to Australia last Sunday and was replaced in the squad by Kusal Perera.
Paceman Dhammika Prasad, slow-bowling allrounder Jeevan Mendis and batsman Dimuth Karunaratne are already out of the tournament, while highly-rated spinner Ragana Herath is battling to overcome a finger injury before next Wednesday’s quarter-final. Karunaratne was ruled out of the World Cup after suffering a broken finger during a training session. “He has to undergo surgery and will be out for about four weeks,” Sri Lanka’s chairman of selectors Sanath Jayasuriya said.
