Angelo Mathews and Dushmantha Chameera have both been called as reserves for Sri Lanka at the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023.
The ICC World Cup 2023 has been an injury saga for many teams who are taking part. Perhaps out of all those teams, the worst hit has been the Sri Lankan camp. Already they are bereft without their star all-rounder Wanidu Hasaranga. Added to that, skipper Dasun Shanaka has also been left out. This has caused a lot of problems for the Lankans who languish at the bottom end of the points table. Naturally, to strengthen the squad, the Sri Lankan selectors have drafted Angelo Mathews and Dushmantha Chameera to join the side.
Both Mathews and Chameera were last seen in action during the ODI series against Afghanistan. Mathews (age 36) has an impressive record of 221 games with nearly 6,000 runs at a strike rate of 83.11. Moreover, he has around 120 wickets with an economy of 4.63. However, in recent years he has primarily focused more on his batting. On the other hand, 31-year-old pacer, Chameera has played 44 ODIs where he has taken 50 wickets. Moreover, Chameera has a very impressive economy of 5.4 in ODIs. Naturally, Sri Lanka will definitely want both of their seasoned cricketers to step up and steer the course of Sri Lanka.
Injuries have plagued the Lankans much before the tournament when star all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga was ruled out of the showpiece event. Fellow spinner Maheesh Theekshana missed the opening game of the World Cup. Moreover, Pacer Matheesha Pathirana and skipper Dasun Shanaka are the latest casualties on the list. The latter has been ruled out of the tournament already. Shanaka has been officially replaced by Chamika Karunaratne in the squad. In an attempt to bolster the Sri Lankan side, veterans Angelo Mathews and Dushmanth Chameera have been called to join in.
Mathews and Chameera are expected to join the team on Friday i.e. October 20. This is a day before their next fixture against the Netherlands in Lucknow. Incidentally, Chameera was initially ruled out of the tournament with a shoulder injury but has reportedly gained full fitness. Given the team’s concerns in the bowling department, Chameera’s addition will definitely strengthen Sri Lanka’s attack as the team seeks its first win of the tournament. On the other hand, the addition of Mathews will add middle-order stability to the tottering Sri Lankan campaign. Currently, Sri Lanka is in the 10th position with 0 wins from 3 games and an NRR of -1.532.
Get the latest from Sportslumo.com by following us on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Follow Us
