Angelo Mathews to Sign Off with T20 World Cup
Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Mathews will retire from Test cricket after the opening game of the two-match series against Bangladesh in Galle. He plans to target the 2026 T20 World Cup as the swansong for his white-ball career, depending on his fitness.
A Grand Farewell in Galle
Mathews began his Test journey at Galle in 2009 against Pakistan and will play his final Test at the same venue. "It's a coincidence. I had my debut in Galle. I played my 100th Test in Galle. And I'm going to say goodbye in Galle," he said.
Giving Opportunity to the Next Generation
Mathews decided to retire from Test cricket after the opening game to give an opportunity to the player replacing him in the second Test match. "The main reason is that we don't have many games coming up. After this, our next Test assignment is a year away. That's a very long time," he explained.
Targeting the 2026 T20 World Cup
Mathews has spoken to the selectors about playing the upcoming T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. "There are six more months until the next T20 World Cup, and I'll give it a try depending on what my body tells me," he said. "I hope to retire from white-ball cricket at that World Cup."
Reflecting on His Career
Mathews expressed satisfaction with his career but acknowledged paying the price for poor workload management. "I couldn't bowl much since 2016 because, from 2008 to 2015, I was playing in all formats as an all-rounder. That eventually took a toll on my body because I didn't care much about workload management," he said.
A Bright Future for Sri Lanka Cricket
Mathews believes Sri Lanka's cricket is moving in the right direction. He attributed much of the recent progress to improved communication within the system. "The future looks bright," he said. "Since Sanath (Jayasuriya) took over, and Upul Tharanga and his team came in, the communication has been excellent."
Team Wants to Give Mathews a Good Farewell
Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva said that the team is hoping to give Mathews the send-off he deserves. "We want to win the match for Angelo and give him a good farewell," Dhananjaya said.
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