Share

Injured Sri Lanka skipper Mathews to fly home

Cape Town - Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews is to fly home from South Africa after twisting his ankle during the second Twenty20 international and will be replaced as captain by Dinesh Chandimal, selectors said on Monday.

The Sri Lankan board said in a statement that Mathews had been "granted permission to return home" after injuring himself during his team's victory on Sunday in Johannesburg, a match in which he played a starring role.

"The next T20 match will be captained by Dinesh Chandimal," the board added in its statement.

Mathews hit two sixes in the last over to hand Sri Lanka a series-levelling three-wicket win in Sunday's match after suffering a 3-0 Test series whitewash to South Africa.

Mathews, who scored an unbeaten 54 at the Wanderers stadium, told the post-match press conference that he expected to be out for a couple of weeks and could well miss the rest of the tour.

The third and final T20 international will be played in Cape Town on Wednesday, followed by five one-day internationals, finishing on February 10.

In its statement, the Sri Lankan board said that fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep and opener Danuskha Gunathilaka were also expected to return home as they needed rest to recover from their injuries.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
32% - 1847 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1816 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1106 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 473 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 193 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 262 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE