As the curtains prepare to fall on Angelo Mathews’ remarkable Test career, the cricketing fraternity stand united in salute. Few players have served the game with such dignity, purpose and quiet authority.
If Imran Khan’s legacy includes breaking new ground with Pakistan’s maiden Test series win in England and Ajit Wadekar’s name is etched in Indian folklore for doing the same, then Mathews too deserves a place in that rarefied air – for he not only captained Sri Lanka to their first series win on English soil in 2014, but led from the front with back-to-back hundreds.
Like Imran and Wadekar, Mathews was more than a captain – he was a cultivator of talent. Today’s match-winners like Test skipper Dhananjaya de Silva and wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Mendis cut their teeth under Mathews’ watchful eye. Both were handed debuts during his tenure and they’ve since become integral parts of the Sri Lankan machine.
“It gives me immense satisfaction to see these guys doing well. They’ve become match-winners in their own right. I’m proud we backed the right talent. The future of Sri Lankan cricket is in safe hands,” Mathews told ThePapare.
A good leader doesn’t wait for the armband to show leadership. With Mathews, the advice never stopped flowing – from the boundary line, from the dressing room, from deep midwicket if needed. He became a mentor, a sounding board, a silent force behind several key decisions. Even selectors and team management leaned on his experience before taking bold calls. His influence extended far beyond the scoreboard.
Though initially tagged as a genuine all-rounder expected to bowl with the new ball and bolster the lower middle order, fate had other plans. A string of muscle injuries clipped his bowling wings – but Mathews pivoted, reinvented himself, and emerged as the batting bulwark of the team. When Sri Lanka needed someone to dig in, see off the new ball, or anchor a faltering innings, he padded up – time and time again.
To finish as the country’s third-highest Test run-getter, behind the twin colossi of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, is a towering achievement in itself. Mathews may not have had Sangakkara’s elegance or Mahela’s flamboyance, but his bat spoke in a language of reliability, resilience, and quiet resolve.
“When I started out, I never imagined I’d finish as the third-highest run scorer for my country behind two of our all-time greats,” Mathews reflected. “Of course, there’s a tinge of disappointment – I had set my sights on 10,000 Test runs some time back. But injuries played their part. I’m grateful to God for the opportunity to play 118 Tests.”
With only four Test matches lined up for Sri Lanka this year, eyebrows have been raised. Could Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have slotted in a few more outside the FTP? Mathews offered a measured take.
“I know for a fact that SLC tried their best to get more Tests this year. But with the Asia Cup on the calendar and a World Cup looming next year, most teams preferred white-ball cricket. This just happens to be one of those lean years.”
A staunch believer in the long format, Mathews championed Test cricket throughout his career.
“Test cricket is the pinnacle of the game. Even Virat Kohli said recently that if you want the respect of the cricketing fraternity, you must prove yourself in Tests. It tests not just your technique, but your character. I loved every single Test match I played for Sri Lanka.”
Mathews’ recent red-ball returns may not have set the world alight, but Galle offers him one last chance to sign off in style. And if past is any indication, don’t be surprised if he’s got one more innings of grit and grace left in the tank.
