A few days before resigning as the Sri Lanka Cricket captain last July, Angelo Mathews termed the series loss against Zimbabwe at home as the lowest point in his career. But, after six months, he has agreed to take up the role once again and one of the first opponents the team will face is Zimbabwe in the upcoming tri-series in Bangladesh.
ODI Squad for Bangladesh announced, Mathews to Captain
Sri Lanka Cricket announced a 16-man squad that will take..
“It’s one of the lowest points in my career. A hard pill to swallow. Everything went against us.” Mathews had said in Hambanthota last year.
“When I stepped down I never thought of taking over the captaincy again,” Mathews said after being officially appointed as the long-term limited overs captain. “But as soon as we came back from India, the president had a discussion with me, also Hathu aiya, and the selectors spoke to me and asked me to consider taking up the captaincy again. I took a few days to think about it, and because of a few reasons I decided to accept.” He went on to say.
Over the last one and a half years, Mathews has missed 20 of Sri Lanka’s 39 ODIs due to various injuries. Most recently, a hamstring strain ended his game-time in the Indian series. The team management confirmed that Mathews will not bowl during the upcoming Bangladesh tour but his batting will be a key factor if Sri Lanka are to succeed.
With Mathews at the helm, Sri Lanka’s new head coach Chandika Hathurusingha will have a strong leader who is an automatic selection in the lineup and a genuine match-winner. Mathews previously worked with Hathurusingha during the last decade when the former Anandian was the ‘A’ team coach and the shadow coach of the national team.
“I’ve also known Hathu aiya for a long time and I know how he operates. He’s not here just to survive. It’ll be very easy to work with him. When you have a coach like him that other countries are desperate to have, it’s a great thing. Cricket has given me a lot. If I turn my back in the hour of need I’ll not have done right by cricket.” Mathews commented.
Since 2012, under Mathews, Sri Lanka has won 47 of 98 games, while losing 45. In 2017, the islanders have lost 23 of 29 games, winning only 6 games, hence the new hope for the new year will lay on the shoulders of Hathurusingha and Mathews.
Photo Album – The announcement of the new limited-overs Captain and ODI squad
“I invited Angelo to reconsider and accept the Captaincy once again, further to the lengthy discussions I had with the Head Coach, Selectors and the Management of the SLC” said Mr. Thilanga Sumathipala, Sri Lanka Cricket President.
Mathews has an astute cricketing brain on his broad shoulders which is paramount for a successful captain. He has had his bad times as a captain but currently, it must be said that none of the other players are qualified to take on the role.
Mathews was always groomed to be a leader from his time at St. Joseph’s College. From the day he came into the national side in 2008, he seemed pre-destined to captain Sri Lanka to glory and this is the time for Mathews to silence all his critics.
“My thought was that he’s the best person to lead the ODI team because he warrants a place on his own performance,” Hathurusingha said on Tuesday at SLC headquarters. “The only concern we had was his physical fitness and we have a plan in place to help him.”
Though Mathews’ batting is his foremost asset, he is also often one of Sri Lanka’s main bowlers, even delivering new-ball spells on occasion and if he stays fit, he would bring balance to the side and Sri Lanka will be able to regain their lost limited-overs form under the watchful guidance of Hathurusingha.
Can Mathews the captain, lift the team from the ashes and do the unthinkable to win the World Cup in England next year? The hope remains.
