Angelo Mathews considering retirement from international cricket

Veteran Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Mathews has reportedly stated that he is considering retiring from international cricket. The longstanding row between Sri Lanka Cricket and its players over national contracts took a new turn on Wednesday. With this development, senior cricketer Angelo Mathews hinted at retirement after not being offered a contract. Angelo Mathews and Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne found themselves excluded from the contracts.

Angelo Mathews hasn’t been considered in Sri Lanka’s limited-overs team in the recent past due to a change in contract policies. He has reportedly written to the SLC administration and has stated that he is considering retirement. The allrounder is anticipated to make a formal announcement of his retirement in a few days.

Mathews quit captaincy in 2017 but remained an integral part of the Sri Lankan cricket team

Angelo Mathews, along with other senior Sri Lankan players, has decided to object to the new central contract that is being offered by the Sri Lankan cricket board. The annual contract rewards cricketers based on their on-field performance and fitness standards.

For the unknown, Angelo Mathews is one of the greatest all-rounders to have played the sport. He was a pivotal allrounder to the Sri Lankan side. Mathews made his international debut against Zimbabwe back in the year 2008. His batting skills and medium-pace bowling have always been an advantage to the Lankan team. 

Seeing his brilliance, the national selection committee appointed him the captain. He was handed over the captaincy reins when the likes of Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, and Tillakaratne Dilshan were active cricketers. The all-rounder did well in the leadership role. However, things completely changed after the retirement of the legendary trio. Sri Lanka lost one series after the other, and pressure was piling up on Angelo Mathews. Mathews quit captaincy in 2017 but remained an integral part of the Sri Lankan cricket team. The allrounder has so far featured in 90 Tests, 218 ODIs, and 49 T20Is. In those, he has scored 13219 runs and picked up 191 wickets. 

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