Image Credit- AFP
Over the past ten years, Angelo Mathews has
experienced quite the rollercoaster. He was previously the captain of Sri
Lanka’s white-ball teams, but when the men’s team’s performance declined, he
developed into an injury-prone senior player. Eventually, the previous group of
selectors only used him in Test matches, which greatly irritated Mathews.
But Mathews’ performance on Monday in the second Twenty20 International against
Afghanistan was his strongest since rejoining the Twenty20 team a few weeks
ago. Arriving at No. 7 in the fifteenth over, he struggled at initially, making
just four of his first nine balls, but he soon started hitting the boundaries.
In the 19th over, Mathews hit three straight sixes off
Azmatullah Omarzai. He finished with four sixes and two fours, scoring 42 not
out off 22 balls. Over the past two years, Sri Lanka has been in dire need of
that kind of finishing firepower in their white-ball teams.
“The plan was for Sadeera Samarawickrama to bat
deep so that I could bat with freedom,” Mathews said of that innings, as
he and Samarawickrama put on a fifth-wicket stand worth 66. “I struggled
in the first ten to 15 balls. Every ball went to the fielder when I hit it
initially. But I knew I could clear the boundary.
“The way Sadeera was going I knew I could play my shots. I can improve
further if I can get singles and twos in the first couple of deliveries.”
Despite the fact that his fitness had become a bone of
contention with the selectors and had precipitated a notorious public
altercation with the then-coach Chandika Hathurusinghe, Mathews has
subsequently made a point of showcasing his gains in this area. He was chosen
once more by a bunch of selectors he gets along with, and he has now started to
deliver significant success in Twenty20 Internationals.
“Since the Zimbabwe series, I was told to bowl to help the balance of the
side,” Mathews said. “At any moment I am ready to bowl. Selectors
spoke to me too, and we had a decent chat. I am willing to give my 100%. I am
enjoying my cricket, and want to do my best for the team.”