Sri Lanka’s World Cup squad has undergone a crucial change ahead of their upcoming clash against England, as veteran all-rounder Angelo Mathews stepped in to replace the injured pacer Matheesha Pathirana. Pathirana had sustained a shoulder injury during Sri Lanka’s match against Pakistan, forcing him to miss subsequent games against Australia and Netherlands.
This marks Mathews’ fourth appearance in the World Cup since the 2011 edition, adding a wealth of experience to Sri Lanka’s lineup. The 36-year-old all-rounder boasts an impressive ODI record, having played 221 matches for Sri Lanka. Over the course of his career, he has accumulated 5865 runs, including three centuries and 40 fifties, and has also contributed significantly with the ball, taking 120 wickets in the format.
“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,” confirmed the ICC in a media release.
Mathews was recalled as a travelling reserve last week, along with pacer Dushmantha Chameera, after being sidelined in the original World Cup squad. His return provides Sri Lanka with a seasoned player capable of making impactful contributions both with the bat and ball.
Notably, Matheesha Pathirana is the second Sri Lankan player to be ruled out of the World Cup due to injury, following captain Dasun Shanaka, who flew back home with a quadriceps tear, necessitating a recovery period of at least three weeks. In Shanaka’s absence, Chamika Karunaratne has been named as his replacement, while Kusal Mendis has taken on the role of the Lankan captaincy.
