Angelo Mathews
Angelo Mathews. (Credits: Twitter)

Sri Lanka has received an early blow ahead of their tour of South Africa as they are likely to be there without Angelo Mathews. Sri Lanka will visit South Africa for a two-Test series, the first of which gets underway on 26th December in Centurion followed by the second on 3rd January in Johannesburg. Angelo Mathews could miss the visit due to the hamstring injury.

Angelo Mathews sustained the injury while playing for Colombo Kings in the semi-final against the Galle Gladiators. While the extent of the all-rounder’s injury is yet to emerge, Mathews could most likely miss the Tests in South Africa and be in the race to be fit for the home Tests against England. Sri Lanka’s two-Test rubber against the Englishmen commences from 14th January.

Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (Credits: Twitter)

Angelo Mathews is one of the most experienced players in Sri Lanka’s outfit, having played 86 Tests with 5981 runs at 45.31. With the retirements of several star players a few years ago, the 33-year old has carried the team’s hopes on his shoulders. The veteran seam-bowling all-rounder has struggled quite several times due to long-standing hamstring and calf injuries.

The injury had been building up: Angelo Mathews

Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal
AFP

Angelo Mathews revealed that as the physio assessed his hamstring, likely he will not participate in the Tests in South Africa; however, he will get an MRI to confirm the same. The 33-year old admitted that the injury had been gradually building up and was also unable to rest himself during the tournament and felt it in the last game.

“The physio assessed it and said it looks like I will be out of the South Africa series, but I’ll get an MRI today and to confirm. The injury had been building up. I wanted to rest myself and wasn’t able to rest myself during the tournament. Even the previous game I felt it a little bit, and then I felt it go in the last game,” Mathews told ESPN Cricinfo.

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