Dasun desired Mathews making a comeback
Sri Lanka white-ball skipper Dasun Shanaka obliges young fans as head coach Chris Silverwood and deputy skipper Kusal Mendis share a light moment prior to taking the official team photograph - Pix by Eshan Fernando
Sri Lanka white-ball captain Dasun Shanaka conceded he would have liked former captain Angelo Mathews making a comeback after months into a 50-over squad while also placing the ball on the selectors’ court.
Mathews being excluded from the 50-over side, has raised many an eyebrow as many believe the 35-year-old could offer lot more to the team. Sri Lanka must play a qualifying round to earn one of the two remaining slot at the 10-team tournament which will be played later this year in India.
Mathews was among several seniors who were axed from white-ball cricket as part of a major overhaul when Pramodya Wickremasinghe led selectors assumed duties in April in 2021.
“I would have liked to have him in the side, but it’s up to the selectors”, Shanaka said ahead of team’s departure to India last evening for a six-match white-ball series.
Apart from that itself, Mathews featuring in the team, for his heaps of exposure would have settled an unsettled middle-order. Mathews has featured in 218 ODIs for Sri Lanka, scoring 5835 runs at 41.67–the second best average among Sri Lankan batters. Legendary Kumar Sangakkara is the only one with a better average, scoring his 13975 runs at 41.96 in a career-spanning over one and half decades.
Mathews played his last ODI in March, 2021, but he played a significant role as a middle-order batter for Colombo Stars during the recent Lanka Premier League (LPL). For an ageing Mathews, another World Cup four years from now, doesn’t remain likely.
Thus, his return for the series in India would have only presented a golden opportunity as a dress rehearsal ahead of a World Cup. This all-white-ball tour will also test the leadership skills of Wanindu Hasaranga, a vice captain debut for him in the national squad, and only a second time deputy in Kusal Mendis.
“I have always been getting good support from them. They are seasoned cricketers and this (leadership appointments) are future investments. Hence, they would serve in good stead and is the correct decision,” Shanaka told reporters on New Year’s eve, ahead of their departure to India.
“Wanindu did a good job in the LPL. So he got the potential. Kusal Mendis has been in the system. We have been discussing before they were appointed as vice captains”, Shanaka backed his deputies and said the three of them have been getting on well and have a good understanding.
The tour, consisting six matches, three T20s and as many ODIs, opens with the T20s, at the Wankhade, Mumbai, three days into 2023. However, the spotlight is focused on the 50-over leg, the same format for the World Cup to be played in India later in 2023.
“Beating India in India is always a daunting challenge. However, we beat them in the Asia Cup, hence we’ll be banking on that. We have given a good fight to them in the past”.
“It’s a very important tour. But still we played well last year, so hopefully we have been looking forward to winning the series. Actually, it is a good team. We have been training and playing at length”.