Reports from RevSportz suggest that Dasun Shanaka is set to step down as Sri Lanka’s captain ahead of the eagerly awaited ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. This marquee event is scheduled to be hosted in 10 venues across India, running from October 5 to November 19. Sri Lanka’s campaign will commence on October 7 when they face South Africa at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Shanaka, renowned as one of Sri Lanka’s premier all-rounders, has played a pivotal role in transforming the team into a formidable unit. However, Sri Lanka Cricket’s decision hinges on the team’s disappointing performance in the recently concluded Asia Cup final in Colombo. In a humiliating turn of events, Sri Lanka suffered a resounding 10-wicket defeat at the hands of India in the summit clash, falling short of securing the continental championship title once again.
Furthermore, Shanaka has endured a lackluster individual season, despite the team’s overall performance in the 16th edition of the Asia Cup. In six games, the 32-year-old all-rounder could muster only 54 runs.
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In response to these developments, Angelo Mathews, a seasoned all-rounder, is anticipated to be included in Sri Lanka’s ODI World Cup 2023 squad. Despite his remarkable track record in One-Day Internationals, the 36-year-old did not participate in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier held in Zimbabwe in June 2023.
Mathews boasts an impressive record in ODIs, having scored 5865 runs in 221 matches, with an average of 41.01 and a strike rate of 83.09. He has accumulated three centuries and 40 half-centuries in the format, with an unbeaten 139 as his highest individual score. Notably, he has also excelled as a bowler, claiming 120 wickets, making him one of only 22 players in history to achieve both 5,000 runs and 100 wickets.
Additionally, Mathews played a crucial role as Sri Lanka’s second-highest run-scorer in the 2019 World Cup, trailing only Kusal Perera. During the tournament, he amassed 244 runs in seven matches at an average of 40.66, which included a memorable century against India.