PUNE: Angelo Mathews is perhaps to the Sri Lankan team what Mohinder Amarnath was to Indian cricket. Getting dropped only to be recalled in the hour of crisis. And whereas Amarnath could be as blunt as a tool, Mathews lets his lilting Sinhalese-accented cadence make a subtle impact.
“And it happened to be that I had to come to this World Cup.” That was Mathews sharing his thoughts on making yet another comeback, this time to replace injured pacer Matheesha Pathirana in the World Cup.
“I was just focusing on the controllables. I mean, everything else, which I cannot control, I was not thinking about it, because it’s just a waste of energy. I was a little disappointed, obviously, not getting selected for the first 15. But I just focused on what I had to do. I just focused on my fitness and bowling a few overs. You know, if and when need be, if I’m called (up), to try and come and straight away perform," he said.
“Whether it is the World Cup or whether it is — well, I got picked for the T10 as well in Abu Dhabi — whatever it is ahead, I just have to give myself a chance by keeping my shape.”
Perform he did, returning with figures of 5-1-14-2 in his first match in the tournament in Bengaluru on Friday as Sri Lanka thrashed defending champions England by eight wickets.
It was as good a comeback as any athlete could have dreamt of. For the 36-year-old from Colombo, however, it was all about relishing every moment on the field.
“Cricket has taught me a lot over the last 15 years. I try to control what I can control, and I try to shut myself down from negativity. I’m not trying to prove anything to anyone. Because at the end of the day, it’s an honour to represent your country and, at any given time, I take it as a challenge. I try to use my experience over the last 15-16 years. I have played in India, it’s a very tough place to play. I try to enjoy every single moment.”
Mathews came into the Sri Lankan team in 2008-09 as a bowling all-rounder and he was crucial to the success the islanders enjoyed in early and mid 2010s. His role, however, gradually changed over the years. Thanks to a combination of his explosive batting in the middle and increasing workload, Mathews became a batting all-rounder.
After being made the captain, he began to bowl less. Now that he has been called as replacement for Pathirana, it will be interesting to see what role he gets to play
in the World Cup.
“The only all rounder who I can remember who didn’t have any injuries was Jacques Kallis. He was just an extraordinary player, he was my idol as well,” Mathews said.
“Due to playing so many games these days, it’s really difficult to stop injuries from coming. You know you have to sort of look after yourself, manage your workload, and then hydration, recovery, everything. Now I’m trying to contribute once again as an all-rounder, bowling a few overs, trying to give those options to the skipper.”
“Kusal Mendis also asked if I could bowl and happily I said, ‘yes’. Because, you know, if I can contribute in whatever way possible towards a winning cause, I would be the first one to do that.”
