Mathews stays as Test, ODI skipper

Angelo Mathews has been reappointed captain of the Sri Lankan Test and One-Day International teams, Sri Lanka Cricket said on Thursday (May 14). The national selectors have also retained Lasith Malinga as the captain for Twenty20 Internationals.

Mathews’s appointment will run till the end of Sri Lanka’s tour of England next year, while Malinga will lead the T20I team till the end of the 2016 World T20 in India.

Mathews succeeded Mahela Jayawardene as skipper in February 2013, and had initially been appointed till the end of the 2015 World Cup. Mathews led Sri Lanka to a famous Test series win in England last summer, followed by a 2-0 whitewash of Pakistan at home. However, Sri Lanka lost a two-match home series against South Africa 0-1, while they were beaten 2-0 in two-Test series in New Zealand, their last Test assignment.

In One-Day Internationals, Mathews led Sri Lanka to an away series against England, while at home, they picked up wins also against England, as well as Pakistan. However, tours to India and New Zealand resulted in series losses but under Mathews, Sri Lanka reached the quarterfinal of the World Cup before losing to South Africa.

Lasith Malinga led Sri Lanka to the 2014 World Twenty20 title after Dinesh Chandimal, the designated captain, was supended for one match owing to a slow over rate. Even when Chandimal became available for selection after the suspension, Sri Lanka opted to stick with Malinga and benched Chandimal. The move paid off as Sri Lanka trounced India in the final in Mirpur.

Malinga also led Sri Lanka to a nine-run win in a one-off T20I in England in 2014. Sri Lanka haven’t played a T20I since.

Sri Lanka’s next assignment is a home series against Pakistan which will include three Tests, five ODIs and two T20Is.