Sri Lanka have suffered another injury blow as pacer Matheesha Pathirana has been reportedly ruled out of the ongoing ICC ODI World Cup 2023 due to an injury. In the upcoming days, a decision regarding the player who will replace Matheesha in the squad will be made, forcing Sri Lanka to make an important choice.
The Island nation already came to India for the World Cup 2023 without two of their best bowlers in Dushmantha Chameera and Wanindu Hasaranga. They most recently lost the services of captain Dasun Shanaka due to a thigh injury.
And now an injury to Matheesha Pathirana has compounded their challenge in the tournament. Sri Lanka has won only one game out of four they have played thus far.
Sri Lankan bowling department is already running low on experience and this blow could be a huge one for their chances of making it into the semi-finals.
Matheesha Pathirana Out Due To Inflammation To His Bowling Arm- Reports
Matheesha Pathirana, recognized for his raw pace and promise, was widely expected to be a significant component of Sri Lanka’s bowling attack. However, a bowling arm inflammation that persisted and did not heal properly caused him to withdraw from the World Cup.
This loss is upsetting not just for the young fast bowler, but also for Sri Lanka’s World Cup hopes.
“Matheesha Pathirana is ruled out of the World Cup due to the injury not being cured. The decision regarding the player to be added to the Squad instead of Matheesha is to be taken in the near future,” a reporter from Sports Pavilion Sri Lanka posted.
From Bangalore 🚨
🇱🇰⚾️ Matheesha Pathirana is ruled out of the World Cup due to the injury not being cured. The decision regarding the player to be added to the Squad instead of Matheesha is to be taken in the near future.#sportspavilionlk #CWC23 #ICCCricketWorldCup #SLvsENG pic.twitter.com/XGqfY6Avye
— DANUSHKA ARAVINDA (@DanuskaAravinda) October 23, 2023
The difficult task of finding a worthy successor for Matheesha Pathirana now falls to the Sri Lankan team management and selectors. It is anticipated that the decision-making process will be laborious since keeping the team competitive and balanced throughout the tournament depends heavily on choosing the appropriate player.
