Angelo is sacked, Chandimal to lead
Batsman Dinesh Chandimal has been named Sri Lanka captain across all three formats after Angelo Mathews lost his role as skipper of the country’s limited-overs teams following their exit from the Asia Cup.
The 31-year-old Mathews was renamed as Sri Lanka’s limitedovers skipper in January, six months after the all-rounder relinquished the captaincy for both red and white-ball formats following a home series defeat to Zimbabwe.
Mathews, however, was unable to revive the team’s fortunes in his latest stint, which came to an unceremonious end after Sri Lanka crashed out of the ongoing Asia Cup.
“The national selectors on Sunday decided to appoint Dinesh Chandimal as the ODI captain to lead the team in the upcoming England series,” Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said in a statement.
“Accordingly, they have requested Angelo Mathews to relinquish his duties as the National ODI & T20I captain, with immediate effect.”
‘MADE A SCAPEGOAT’
The decision has upset Mathews, who felt he had been made a “scapegoat”. The all rounder has threatened to retire from the two shorter formats of the game after being dumped as captain.
“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.
Sri Lanka’s was in disastrous form in the Asia Cup, with losses to lower-ranked Afghanistan and Bangladesh ensuring the island nation’s quick exit.
Sri Lanka were thumped by 137 runs against Bangladesh in their opening match of the tournament, and have now lost 30 of their 40 matches since January 2017.
Once the world champions in 1996, Sri Lanka’s stock has dropped alarmingly in the last few years.
Changing and chopping of the side and an absence of leadership within the team have been blamed for their poor cricket in recent times.
Chandimal, who was already captain of Sri Lanka’s Test side, now takes the reins in all three formats of the game.
Sri Lanka are set to face a tough England side in five oneday internationals, one Twenty20 and three Test matches from October 10.
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