Angelo Mathews has expressed concerns over the number of Test matches Sri Lanka will be playing in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle.
Sri Lanka will take part in six two-match series across the next cycle, the joint lowest alongside Bangladesh. Mathews highlighted how Australia, England and India will be playing 22, 21, and 18 Tests respectively.
Sri Lanka have only four Test matches scheduled in 2025 -- their lowest tally in a calendar year, barring 2020 due to COVID-19, since 2013.
"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,” Mathews was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
Last month, Angelo Mathews announced that he would call time on his Test career after the culmination of the first match against Bangladesh in Galle. The 37-year-old, who made his Test debut at the same venue against Pakistan in 2009, has been a great servant for Sri Lankan cricket over the last 16 years, delivering both as an all-rounder and a leader.
With 8,167 runs in 118 matches, Mathews is only behind Kumar Sangakkara (12,400) and Mahela Jayawardena (11,814) for the most Test runs by a Sri Lankan. He also has 33 wickets to his name in the longest format of the game.
Mathews, who has scored 2206 runs across 33 Test matches at Galle, will have a chance to add to those runs and wickets in his 119th and final match in whites against Bangladesh, starting on Tuesday (June 17).
"I played my 100th Test in Galle, so I thought I'd say goodbye in Galle. But the main reason was that we don't have any games coming up, at least for now. After this, we'll be having our next assignment in Test cricket after a year's time, that is a very long wait," explained Mathews.
(With IANS Inputs)
