ZCZC
BSP-21
CRICKET-SRI-ENG-MATHEWS,SQUAD
Sri Lanka drop ‘scapegoat’ skipper for England ODIs
COLOMBO, Sept 26, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Sri Lanka’s sacked skipper Angelo
Mathews was dropped Wednesday from the ODI and T20 squads against England
after he accused the board of making him a scapegoat for the team’s Asia Cup
debacle.
The 31-year-old all-rounder was not included in the 15-man squad for the
five one-day internationals and the one-off T20 against England beginning on
October 10.
Cricket officials said fitness concerns forced them to drop Mathews.
However, he was retained in the Test squad, officials said.
“I have been made the scapegoat in this entire saga of Sri Lanka’s dismal
performance against Bangladesh and Afghanistan in the Asia Cup,” Mathews said
in a letter to Sri Lanka Cricket after he was sacked earlier this week as ODI
and T20 captain.
The board said it asked Mathews to step down and allow Dinesh Chandimal to
lead Sri Lanka against England in all three formats of the game.
The sacking followed Sri Lanka’s drubbing in the Asia Cup, with losses to
lower-ranked Afghanistan and Bangladesh ensuring its quick exit from the
competition.
Sri Lanka squad: Dinesh Chandimal, Upul Tharanga, Sadeera Samarawickrama,
Niroshan Dikwella, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka, Thisara Perera, Akila
Dhananjaya, Dushmantha Chameera, Lasith Malinga, Amila Aponso, Lakshan
Sandakan, Nuwan Pradeep, Kasun Rajitha and Kusal Perera.
BSS/AFP/BZC/1810HRS