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Angelo Mathews ready to resume international cricket
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
Former Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews has informed Sri Lanka Cricket that he is again available for selection for his country.
Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley de Silva confirmed that Mathews has intimated to him through an email about his availability.
“Mathews has sent me a letter saying that he is ready to carry out training and that he would be available for future tours,” said de Silva. “Now that he is available, I am sure he will start playing domestic cricket and he will definitely be part of the LPL as well.”
Mathews made himself unavailable for selection during the height of the player-contract dispute in May, saying that he needed a break from cricket to consider his future as a player, going even to the extent of saying that he may even retire.
The 34-year-old batting all-rounder was not among the 18 players who were presented with a five-month contract in August by Sri Lanka Cricket, who eventually changed their mind after initially stating that they would not hand any central contracts but only tour contracts for the rest of the year. Neither is Mathews a member of the Sri Lanka side that is currently taking part in the T20 World Cup in UAE.
Mathews was among five senior players who were controversially left out of white ball cricket by the national selection committee on the presumption of overhauling the squad by giving youth an opportunity. They were also at the receiving end of huge pay cuts from a newly drawn controversial player contract that led to a dispute between SLC and the Technical Advisory Committee and the players.
“Mathews is not part of the central contract so he will be paid on a tour-by-tour basis, the new contracts will be drawn up on 1 January – then we will have to take a call,” said De Silva.
The next international engagement for Sri Lanka after the T20 World Cup is the two-Test series at home against West Indies in November. The series will be Sri Lanka’s first in the second edition of the ICC World Test Championship.
Speaking to Daily FT on the time he spent away from cricket, Mathews said: “I have been working on my fitness day in and day out and keeping myself in shape. I have been training on my own physically and I have my own nets. I have also been working on a project called the ‘Little Hearts’ and spending a lot of time with that. I wanted a small break from cricket, so I asked SLC to relieve me off my duties for a short while, now I think I am ready to go.”
Mathews who represents Colts CC said that he would start playing domestic cricket. The 2021-22 domestic cricket season is scheduled to get underway on 27 October with the SLC Major Limited-over tournament, which will be followed by the two Tests against West Indies starting on 21 November and the Lanka Premier League from 4-23 December.
