A
ngelo Mathews, Sri Lanka’s most seasoned cricketer at 37, expressed his disappointment over the team’s performance in the T20 World Cup, stating they had let both themselves and the nation down by failing to qualify for the Super 8s.
Despite being in Group D, Sri Lanka has yet to secure a win after three matches, having lost to South Africa and Bangladesh and earning only one point from a washout against Nepal. They played their final match of the tournament against the Netherlands on Sunday night, concluding a tough campaign.
“We’ve let the entire nation down and we’re really sorry because we’ve let ourselves down,” Mathews said. “We never expected this. We faced many challenges, but they weren’t insurmountable. It’s unfortunate we didn’t make it to the second round.”
Mathews emphasized the importance of not underestimating any team. “It’s unfortunate that our game against Nepal was washed out. But we have one more game left, and we’ll play for our pride. We haven’t done justice to ourselves, especially in the first two games. It’s very unfortunate, and we’re heartbroken.”
Ironically, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, teams Sri Lanka defeated before the T20 World Cup, have progressed to the Super 8s.
“That’s something we regret because we played well against Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh before the tournament. We didn’t live up to our capabilities in this tournament,” Mathews added.
Sri Lankan cricket fans have voiced their frustration on social media over the team’s poor performance.
“They supported us immensely, whether in Sri Lanka or here. I feel very sorry we couldn’t deliver for them. I want to apologize. We always try to win, but we couldn’t do that in this tournament.”
Regarding the logistical challenges, Mathews noted, “In my career, we’ve never traveled this much for a World Cup. It’s not an excuse, but a reality. Only Sri Lanka and the Dutch team played four matches at four different locations. This is the most travel-heavy World Cup I’ve experienced.”
