Mathews back in Sri Lanka’s World Cup squad

• Replaces injured Matheesha Pathirana

Former Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews will in fact play in his fourth Cricket World Cup after being approved as the replacement for injured fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana.

Pathirana returned home on Monday to continue his rehab work on his injured right shoulder in Colombo.

Mathews, a veteran of three previous World Cups in 2011, 2015 and 2019 was not picked in the original squad of 15, but was later selected as a travelling reserve along with fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera when Dasun Shanaka got injured.

Mathews (36) joined the Sri Lanka squad last week and has been training with them in preparation for their next match against England at Bengaluru on Thursday.

An ICC media release states, “The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 has approved Angelo Mathews as a replacement for Matheesha Pathirana in the Sri Lanka squad.”

“Mathews, who has played 221 ODIs, was named as a replacement after Pathirana failed to recover from a shoulder injury sustained during a warm-up match and was subsequently ruled out of the tournament.”

“The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the replacement player can be officially added to the squad. The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 consists of Wasim Khan (ICC General Manager – Cricket and ETC Chair), Chris Tetley (ICC Head of Events), Hemang Amin (Acting CEO - BCCI), Gaurav Saxena (General Manager – Operations, BCCI), Russel Arnold and Simon Doull (Independent Representatives).”

With Sri Lanka’s batsmen displaying the inexperience of batting out their full quota of 50 overs, Mathews’ presence in the middle would add a lot of stability to the batting which lacks the experience that is needed for a mega event like the World Cup.

Mathews not only carries a weight of knowledge behind him, but can also turn his arm around for a few overs with the new ball as he did so quite effectively in the Lanka Premier League for B-Love Kandy who emerged champions.

With left-arm seamer Dilshan Madushanka bowling as well as he is and projecting himself as the prime fast bowler of the team in the absence of Dushmantha Chameera, and Kasun Rajitha returning to form with the ball with a burst of four wickets in Sri Lanka’s win over Netherlands, Sri Lanka at least seem to have their two opening bowlers sorted out.

There is also the medium-pace of all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne who came into the squad as replacement when Shanaka got injured. Along with spinners Maheesh Theekshana, Dushan Hemantha and Dunith Wellalage, the injury-hit Sri Lanka side more or less has a bowling combination worthy of tackling England.

Shanaka in the meanwhile has recovered from his quadriceps tear and started to bowl at the nets yesterday at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru where the team practiced.