Retiring Angelo Mathews demands fair Test schedule for Sri Lanka

Former Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews has expressed his disappointment over the declining number of Test matches for Sri Lanka and emphasised the need for more opportunities to play the longest format of the game.

All-rounder Mathews will retire after the Galle Test against Bangladesh, which starts this morning.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the game, Mathews advised the younger generation to play more Test cricket and focus on the longest format.

‘It’s quite sad, to be honest. The younger generation are so keen on playing more Test cricket,’ he said.

Mathews, one of Sri Lanka’s most experienced cricketers with 118 Tests to his name, called for equal opportunities for all cricketing nations, highlighting the growing disparity between the ‘Big Three’ — India, Australia and England — and the rest.

‘It’s the pinnacle of our game and we should push for more. Teams like England, India and Australia are playing 15-plus Tests every year — why can’t we?,’ he remarked.

Mathews lamented that opportunities for red-ball cricket are shrinking for teams outside the powerhouse trio.

‘We have won World Cups, we have contributed so much to cricket as a nation — we deserve to play as much as India, Australia, and England,’ he said.

The lack of fixtures even influenced Mathews’ decision to retire now, revealing he chose to play only the first Test of the series to give his successor a rare chance in the next match.

‘I played my 100th Test in Galle, so I thought I’d say goodbye there too. But mainly, we don’t have any games coming up. After this Test, our next assignment is a year away — that’s a long wait. So I wanted to give the guy replacing me an opportunity instead of waiting a year for his debut,’ he concluded.

Sri Lanka is scheduled to play just four Tests in 2025 — the lowest in a non-Covid year since 2013.

Over the upcoming 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, Sri Lanka will play only 12 Tests — the joint fewest alongside Bangladesh — while Australia will play 22, England 21, and India 18.

-Agencies