Angelo Mathews Calls for More Test Cricket for Sri Lanka in Coming Years

Angelo Mathews of Sri Lanka has expressed grave concerns about the dwindling amount of red-ball matches for countries outside of cricket's traditional powerhouses as he gets ready for his final appearance in Test whites. Mathews, who will say goodbye to Test cricket following Tuesday's match against Bangladesh, feels Sri Lanka should have more chances in what he refers to as the "pinnacle" of the game.

On June 17, after the first Test match against Bangladesh at Galle, the veteran will hang up his boots from the red-ball format. In 2025, Sri Lanka will participate in four Test matches, the fewest in a calendar year since 2013. During the two-year 2023–25 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, Australia, India, and England each participated in at least 19 Test matches. South Africa, the WTC champion, played 13.

Angelo Mathews Gets Candid:

In 2025, Sri Lanka is only expected to play four Test matches, the fewest in more than ten years. Mathews believes that this disparity is detrimental to both his nation and Test cricket's reputation abroad. Mathews thought the team ought to have played more Test matches. He said the young players are eager to play as much red-ball cricket as they can for their country.

ESPNCricInfo quotes Mathews as saying, "I think it's quite sad to be honest. I mean, the younger generation is urging for more Test cricket. Test cricket is obviously the pinnacle of cricket. We all should push for more Tests. These guys are so enthusiastic about Test cricket. I feel there has to be a minimum of 10 matches at least [in a year]. Teams like England, India or Australia are playing 15-plus games a year. Why can't we play? We can. If we keep pushing, I mean, we have to. We have won World Cups. We have done so much for cricket as a nation, and we deserve to play Test cricket, just like Australia, India and England"

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