Angelo Mathews on Paternity Leave Opts Out of England Tour

Sri Lanka are scheduled to tour England for the white-ball series to be played between 23 June and 4 July. But the Sri Lanka squad will be without their star all-rounder Angelo Mathews whose wife is reportedly pregnant with their third child. The all-rounder has opted out of the England tour owing to paternity leave.

Young Team Selected with Eye on ODI World Cup 2023

Sri Lanka selectors recently sent a youthful team on the tour of Bangladesh, sidelining such experienced cricketers as Dinesh Chandimal and Dimuth Karunaratne from the squad. The avowed aim was to build a young team for the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Mathews Ignored for Tour of Bangladesh

Thirty-four-year-old Mathews was also not part of the team led by Kusal Perera on the tour of Bangladesh. Sri Lanka lost the three-game ODI series 2-1, a result that took them to the bottom of the points table of the World Cup Super League.

Omission of Mathews for England Tour Causes Speculation

When Mathews’s name did not appear on the list of players to tour England, there was speculation in the media suggesting that he had been dropped. But a subsequent media report has clarified that Mathews had applied for and been handed paternity leave to be by his wife’s side when their third child was born.

Sri Lanka Keen to Do Well in Englandp>Sri Lanka would want to put their poor showing in Bangladesh behind them when they play England in two white-ball series, T20I and ODI, of three games each. The first series (T20I) is due to begin on 23 June.

Sri Lanka vs. England Limited-overs Itinerary
Match	Date	Venue
1st T20I	June 23	Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
2nd T20I	June 24	Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
3rd T20I	June 26	The Rose Bowl, Southampton
1st ODI	June 19	Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street
2nd ODI	July 1	Kennington Oval, London
3rd ODI	July 4	County Ground, Bristol

ODI Head-to-headp>The two sides are evenly matched in the head-to-head comparison in ODI cricket. In 73 ODI matches between them, Sri Lanka and England have won 72 each, with one match ending in a tie. England have hosted Sri Lanka in 30 matches at home, winning 16 and losing 14. T20I Head-to-Headp>In T20Is too, the two teams are almost even, with England enjoying a 5-4 advantage in 9 matches between the sides. Interestingly, 4 of England’s five wins have come in the last five games between the sides. The Sri Lanka Squad for the Tour of Englandp>Kusal Perera (C), Akila Dananjaya, Asitha Fernando, Avishka Fernando, Binura Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Charith Asalanka, Danushka Gunathilaka, Dasun Shanaka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Dushmantha Chameera, Ishan Jayaratne, Isuru Udana, Kusal Mendis, Lakshan Sandakan, Niroshan Dickwella, Nuwan Pradeep, Oshada Fernando, Pathum Nissanka, Praveen Jayawickrama, Ramesh Mendis, Shiran Fernando, Wanindu Hasaranga.