(UDHAYAM, COLOMBO) – Dinesh Chandimal has been named Sri Lanka’s new Test Captain, after Angelo Mathews stepped down from the role in all formats on Tuesday (11). Upul Tharanga will take over in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 (T20s).
Chandimal had served as Mathews’ deputy and led the T20 team in the past, while Tharanga led the ODI team when Mathews had been injured.
Speaking at the press conference to announce the new Captains, Mathews, who quit following the 3-2 ODI defeat at home to Zimbabwe, said “Yes, there have been significant poor performances, and I’m humble enough to accept it. In the past also there were instances where I wanted to step down but I didn’t want to let the team down at that time, mainly because there were no replacements. The team’s interests supercede the individuals. Now there are candidates to take over, and I’m sure they will be more successful than me. I also wanted to give my successor time to build a team for the 2019 World Cup.”
Chandimal said he hoped to have Mathews around for a while yet, helping the team go forward as a player. “I’m very thankful to the job that Angie [Mathews] has done for us,” he said. “Captaincy is not an easy job. He’s a match-winner for us, and I have huge hopes that he will continue to be one in the coming years as well.”
Courtesy: ESPN Cricinfo
