`Scapegoat’ Mathews dropped

Angelo Mathews
Angelo Mathews

(Reuters) – Sri Lanka all-rounder Angelo Mathews was yesterday dropped from their limited-overs squad to face England next month, two days after the country’s cricket board asked him to relinquish his captaincy in the shorter formats of the game.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had on Monday named batsman Dinesh Chandimal as captain across all three formats after Mathews lost his role following their exit from the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

Mathews was left out of SLC’s 15-man squad for five ODIs and a lone Twenty20 match against the visiting England team starting on Oct. 10, but was part of the test squad for the three-match series that begins in November.

ESPNCricinfo had said that Mathews felt he had been made the “scapegoat” for their poor showing in the six-nation Asia Cup, where they crashed out after defeats by Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

One-day squad: Dinesh Chandimal (captain), Upul Tharanga, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Niroshan Dickwella, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Perera, Dasun Shanaka, Thisara Perera, Akila Dananjaya, Dushmantha Chameera, Lasith Malinga, Amila Aponso, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Pradeep, Kasun Rajitha.

Test squad: Dinesh Chandimal (captain), Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella, Dhananjaya de Silva, Roshen Silva, Dilruwan Perera, Rangana Herath, Malinda Pushpakumara, Akila Dananjaya, Suranga Lakmal, Kasun Rajitha, Lakshan Sandakan, Lahiru Kumara (subject to fitness).