Angelo Mathews Calls for Fair Test Schedule for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s senior all-rounder Angelo Mathews expressed his unhappiness over the diminishing number of Test matches and called for more opportunities to play the longest format on Monday.

The Tuesday Galle Test against Bangladesh will be Mathews’ last. He will play his last Test match. At the pre-game press conference, Mathews recommended the next generation to play more Test cricket and focus on the longest format.

“Honestly, it’s sad. “The younger generation wants more Test cricket,” he remarked.

Mathews, one of Sri Lanka’s most experienced cricketers with 118 Tests, advocated for equitable opportunity for all cricketing nations, noting the growing gap between the ‘Big Three’ — India, Australia, and England — the rest.

“It’s our best game and we should push harder. Why can’t we play 15-plus Tests like England, India, and Australia?

Mathews lamented that non-powerhouse clubs are losing red-ball cricket possibilities.

He stated, “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.

Mathews said he retired after playing only the first Test of the series to offer his successor a rare chance in the next match due to the shortage of fixtures.

“I played my 100th Test in Galle, so I said goodbye there. Our games are mostly nonexistent. Our next assignment is a year after this Test—a long wait. I wanted to give my replacement a chance instead of waiting a year to debut, he said.

Sri Lanka will play four Tests in 2025, their fewest since 2013.

Lanka will play 12 Tests in the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC), the joint fewest with Bangladesh. Australia will play 22, England 21, and India 18.

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