Sri Lanka veteran all-rounder Angelo Mathews expressed deep disappointment over his team’s early exit from the T20 World Cup, stating that they have let down the entire nation with their performance.
Sri Lanka suffered two consecutive defeats against South Africa and Bangladesh in Group D, followed by a match washout against Nepal in Florida. Their final league-stage match will be against the Netherlands on Monday.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Mathews apologized to the nation and admitted that the team did not meet their own expectations. He emphasized that despite facing numerous challenges, the team is heartbroken over their failure to advance to the Super 12 stage.
“We have just one more game in the tournament, and we’ll play for our pride. We haven’t done justice to ourselves, especially the way we played in the first two games. So, it’s very unfortunate, we are heartbroken and we are hurting so much within ourselves,” Mathews said.
Reflecting on Sri Lanka’s performances leading up to the World Cup, including victories against Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh, Mathews felt that the team did not perform up to their potential during the showpiece event.
“That’s something that we regret because the way we played Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh in Bangladesh, I thought we didn’t do justice to our capabilities in this tournament,” he remarked.
Mathews also acknowledged the challenges of playing at four different venues in this World Cup and extensive travel but insisted that these should not be used as excuses.
“We are very frustrated as I mentioned earlier a few times. I think in my career, we have never travelled this much for a World Cup. It’s not an excuse, but it is about the reality,” Mathews said.
He concluded by expressing regret for not fulfilling the hopes of the team and the country, stating, “I’m very sorry about it.”
Sri Lanka’s disappointing performance in the T20 World Cup has left them unable to progress to the next stage, and Mathews emphasized that they now aim to salvage some pride in their final match against the Netherlands.
