Mathews reappointed Sri Lanka limited-overs captain

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced on Tuesday (January 6) that Angelo Mathews had been re-appointed captain of limited-overs team, less than six months since he stepped down as captain across formats.

Thilanga Sumathipala, the SLC president, announced the decision at a press conference in Colombo. Mathews will replace Thisara Perera as captain of the limited-overs side, while Dinesh Chandimal will continue as captain of the Test team.

The announcement comes after Sri Lanka’s tour of India in which they were blanked across formats, and a year in which the team lost 23 of the 29 ODIs they played. Mathews had captained Sri Lanka from 2013 to 2017 in all formats, but after a 3-2 loss to Zimbabwe in a home series, he stepped from the role in July last year.

Mathews’s return to captaincy coincides with the appointment of Chandika Hathurusingha as Sri Lanka’s new coach last month. Their association goes as far back as 2008 when Mathews played in the Sri Lanka A team when Hathurusingha was coach.

According to the SLC statement, Mathews agreed to return as captain at the request of Sumathipala. “I invited Angelo to reconsider and accept the captaincy once again, further to the lengthy discussions I had with the head coach, selectors and the management of the SLC,” Sumathipala said in the statement.

Mathews’s second stint as skipper will begin in Bangladesh for the triangular series also featuring Zimbabwe. The tri-series begins in Mirpur on 15 January, with Sri Lanka playing their opener against Zimbabwe two days later.

Chandimal returned to the ODI squad for the tri-series, along with Kusal Mendis. Shehan Madhushanka, the 22-year-old paceman, was also called up.

Squad: Angelo Mathews (cap), Upul Tharanga, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Janith Perera, Thisara Perera, Asela Gunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Dushmantha Chameera, Shehan Madushanka, Akila Dananjaya, Lakshan Sandakan, Wanidu Hasaranga.