The year has been a miserable one for Angelo Mathews, not only because of the results but also because of the several injuries he has suffered.
The former Sri Lanka skipper was on the sidelines for close to four months after sustaining a hamstring injury during the T20 series in South Africa.
He returned to action during the Champions Trophy but was not allowed to bowl. And although he resumed bowling later, he suffered an injury setback once again and could not play a single game during the full-fledged series against Pakistan.
However, the all-rounder has been declared fit for the upcoming tour of India, and he is keen to put the ‘frustrating couple of weeks’ behind when he could only see his team losing one game after another from the sidelines.
Mathews said he is in continuous discussions with the selectors to manage his workload and also said he is unlikely to bowl longer spells.
“It’s been a very frustrating couple of weeks watching from home the guys playing. But having said that, I had a good three years from 2013 to 2016 where I never missed a game. Eventually, the body took a toll on me. I have spoken to a few doctors in Colombo and in the UK. The trainers have set up a programme for me and just need to follow that,” Mathews told Cricbuzz.
“I have been told to manage my workload. I had a good chat with the selectors. Me bowling in shorter formats of the game gives the side much-needed balance, but perhaps not in Test cricket as there are few risks,” Mathews added.
The talismanic all-rounder, who stepped down as the captain earlier this year in the aftermath of series defeat against Zimbabwe, further said the upcoming series against India would be a tough one. The Islanders lost all the nine games across formats against Virat Kohli & Co. at home a couple of months ago and needed to play out of their skin to stun the high-flying India.
“It will be a tough series no doubt. We know that India has always been tough for us. Our preparation has been good. The Test boys seem to be doing well. It’s all about going out there with a positive mind. We shouldn’t worry about what happened to us during the Indian series at home,” Mathews said.
What makes Sri Lanka’s work, even tougher is the inexperience. However, Mathews is looking forward to imparting his knowledge of the Indian conditions with his teammates.
“I am the only guy to have played Test cricket in India among the batters. I am looking forward to helping the other guys. Some of the guys have experience of playing ODI cricket and IPL in India. It will be a good series against a very strong Indian side,” he said.
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