Sri Lanka set to fly in Angelo Mathews and Dushmantha Chameera as cover in 2023 ODI World Cup squad - Reports
Sri Lanka have arguably been the most affected team due to injuries in the ongoing 2023 ODI World Cup. Injuries to Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmanta Chameera prior to the tournament came as a huge blow, and to make matters worse, skipper Dasun Shanaka has also been ruled out.
All-rounder Chamika Karunaratne, who was named as a reserve, was promoted to the main squad after the injury. In a bid to combat any further injuries that might occur in the remainder of the tournament, Sri Lanka Cricket have decided to bring in experienced all-rounder Angelo Mathews and Dushmantha Chameera as cover.
According to @RevSportz on X, the duo are set to fly out from Colombo on Thursday, October 19. They will only be considered to be part of the official squad if there are any more injuries to the current set of players. As per NewsWire.lk, their inclusion also relies on the International Cricket Council's (ICC) approval.
Dushmantha Chameera was initially ruled out of the World Cup due to an injury he sustained at the 2023 Lanka Premier League (LPL). He missed the subsequent Asia Cup tournament, and his last international appearance came against Afghanistan during a bilateral series.
As far as Angelo Mathews is concerned, he made a return to the ODI set-up in early 2023 after a two-year absence. The former skipper has played three ODIs since his return, scoring 30 runs. He is likely to play, if included, as a pure batter given his injury history, His last bowling performance in ODIs came in 2020.
Sri Lanka currently languishing at the bottom of the table with three losses on the trot
The subcontinent side, after cementing their place in the tournament through the qualifiers, are placed tenth place in the points table following three defeats in as many 2023 World Cup games.
Sri Lanka began their campaign on a poor note, conceding a World Cup-record total of 428 runs against South Africa in Delhi. They followed it up with defeats to Pakistan and Australia.
The 2023 Asia Cup runners-up are scheduled to face The Netherlands on Saturday, October 21 at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. Sri Lanka's opponents sit two places and two points above them in the table after three matches.
Will Sri Lanka claim their first win at the 2023 ODI World Cup against Scott Edwards and company? Let us know what you think.