Angelo Mathews

Angelo Davis Mathews ;(born 2 June 1987) is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer and current captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team for all formats. On 8 March 2016, Mathews was appointed as the T20I captain as well, due to continuous injuries of Lasith Malinga. Mathews, a middle-order batting allrounder and probably Sri Lanka's best finisher, is known for his compact batting technique and consistent medium pace bowling.
He was a key member of the Sri Lankan team that won the 2014 World Twenty20 championship and was part of the team that made the final of the 2011 Cricket World Cup and 2012 World Twenty20 championship.

Youth career and senior debut

Mathews made his List A debut for Sri Lanka Under-23s against New Zealand A at Police Park Ground, Colombo in September, 2005. He captained the Sri Lankan cricket team in the 2006 U-19 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka. He later made his first-class debut for Colombo Cricket Club in November, 2006.

Mathews began his international career in late 2008 with ambitions of becoming a genuine allrounder, but has since given primacy to his batting (to diminish his workload and avoid injuries), and effectively plays as a specialist batsman in the Test side. However, for the balance of the team, he still plays as a batting allrounder in the limited overs cricket. A more than useful strike rate of 84.06 has made him a damaging prospect in the final overs of the Sri Lankan innings.

He made his international debut in a One Day International against Zimbabwe in November 2008 and made his Test debut against Pakistan at Galle in July, 2009.

Test career

Angelo Mathews at Sydney Cricket Ground in October 2010

Angelo Mathews made his Test debut in Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka, 2009. The Test also marked the debuts of Abdur Rauf, Mohammad Amir and Saeed Ajmal. He scored his maiden half-century in the third Test of the series, played at Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo. His maiden ton came against Australia in September, 2011 in the same venue. Mathews has an average record in Tests in countries such as Australia, South Africa and India, but up to now he has had limited opportunities to improve on it. His brilliant records at home and in countries like England and UAE make up for that. Two of his four centuries came in England – against a high quality pace attack consisting of James Anderson and Stuart Broad – in the famous Sri Lanka tour of England and Ireland, 2014. He has also flourished with the added responsibility of captaincy, averaging 86.62 in 13 matches.

In February 2013, Mathews became Sri Lanka's youngest ever Test captain at 25, after having been groomed for the post for two years. He captained the Lankan team in its monumental Test series win in England (2014). His highest Test score (160 of 249 balls) also came in the second match of the series played at Headingley, Leeds.

Captaincy (2013 – present)

Angelo Mathews as captain at the toss with Nick Knight

After Kumar Sangakkara stepped down as ODI captain following the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, Mathews was widely tipped to be Sri Lanka's next limited overs captain. However, short tenures of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene followed. After Sri Lanka's loss in the final of the 2012 ICC World Twenty20, the skipper Jayawardene stepped down as captain of the T20I side. Later that month, Mathews was appointed as the T20I captain with Lasith Malinga as his deputy. In February 2013 Mathews was eventually named as ODI and Test captain succeeding Jayawardene.

Mathews became an important member in Sri Lanka One Day team during the Sri Lanka tour of Australia in 2010/11. At the first match, on 3 November 2010, Mathews scored a magnificent match winning 77* runs with a partnership with Lasith Malinga, who also scored his only half-century. Sri Lanka were in trouble when he come into the crease, but finally won the match. In this match, Mathews along with Malinga, recorded the highest ninth wicket partnership in ODI history by scoring 132 runs for the ninth wicket.

Mathews hit back-to-back centuries against England at Lord’s and Headingley to seal Sri Lanka’s first-ever Test series win in England. Under him, Sri Lanka also won the ODI series 3 – 2. The England tour was followed by a 2 – 0 win over Pakistan at home, where Mathews and his team ensured a winning send-off for Mahela Jayawardene from Tests.

On 16 November 2014, Mathews scored his first ODI century against India at Ranchi. He hit four boundaries and ten huge sixes, but finally ended up in the losing side by century made by Indian skipper Virat Kohli. Under the captaincy of Mathews, however, lost all the matches in 5 ODI series against India in 2014. This is the largest lost by Sri Lanka in a bilateral series.

Year 2014 was the limelight of Mathew's captaincy, where Sri Lanka won many bilateral ODI series and also the 2014 Asia Cup. That year, he became the most successful ODI captain with 20 wins out of 32 matches and 62.50% of winning percentage.

On 11 March 2015, during the last pool A match in 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, against Scotland, Mathews scored the fastest fifty by a Sri Lankan in World Cups, and third fastest ODI fifty by a Sri Lankan after Sanath Jayasuriya and Kusal Perera. His fifty came from just 20 balls, where it includes 5 sixes and 1 four.

Mathews was able to bring the team to quarter finals of the World Cup 2015 under his captaincy, where they lost the quarter final against South Africa on 18 March 2015. This defeat was Sri Lanka's first lost in World Cups after 2003, without reaching for the semi finals.

Angelo Mathews batting

Mathews became the fourth Sri Lankan all-rounder to take 100 ODI wickets with more than 3000 ODI runs after Sanath Jayasuriya, Aravinda de Silva, and Tillakaratne Dilshan. He took his 100th ODI wicket by lbw of Mohammad Hafeez on 26 July 2015.

On 17 August 2016, under Mathews' captaincy, Sri Lanka whitewashed Australia, which was at the Number 1 in Test rankings. This was the first time that Sri Lanka managed to Whitewash a major Test side in their history. Before that, only Zimbabwe and Bangladesh have been whitewashed.

T20 career

In the Indian Premier League cricket, he currently plays for Delhi Daredevils. He is one of the most sought out players in the Premier League world, having been bought by the Pune Warriors for US $950,000. In 2015,he was sold to Delhi Daredevils in IPL Auction at a price tag of Rs.7.5 Crores.

Mathews was born in Colombo, to Tamil father Tyronne Mathews and Burgher mother Monica Mathews. Like retired bowling legend Chaminda Vaas, Mathews is Roman Catholic and was educated at St. Joseph's College, Colombo. He is the first Josephian to be appointed captain of the national team.

Mathews is married to his longtime partner, Heshani Silva. The wedding reception was held on 18 July 2013 at Cinnamon Grand Hotel with the presence of former president Mahinda Rajapakse.

Angelo Mathews endorses the following products.

• Samsung: 2008 – present
• Hewlett-Packard: 2011 – present
• Ceylon Cold Stores: 2011 – present

• "Angelo Mathews Brand Ambassador For Samsung Mobile". http://www.businesstoday.lk. 2011-03-01. Retrieved 2011-05-27. 
• "Angelo Mathew appointed as HP Brand Ambassador". http://story.srilankasource.com. 2011-02-01. Retrieved 2011-05-27. 
• "Elephant House signs up Angelo Mathews as Brand Ambassador". http://www.ft.lk. 2011-05-04. Retrieved 2011-05-27. 

• Highest ninth wicket partnership – 132 by Angelo Mathews (77) and Lasith Malinga (56) against Australia in November 2010.
• Most wins in year 2014 as a captain — Under the captaincy of Mathews, Sri Lanka won 20 ODI matches, lost 12 out of 32 matches and winning percentage is 62.50

International centuries

• In the column Runs, * indicates being not out
• The column title Match refers to the Match Number of the player's career

Angelo Mathews has scored 7 Tests and 1 ODI century.

Test centuries

Test centuries of Angelo Mathews
No	Runs	Match	Against	City/Country	Venue	Date	Result
[1]	105*	16	Australia	Colombo, Sri Lanka	Sinhalese Sports Club Ground	16 March 2011	Drawn
[2]	157*	34	Pakistan	Abu Dhabi, UAE	Sheikh Zayed Stadium	31 December 2013	Drawn
[3]	102	39	England	London, England	Lord's	12 June 2014	Drawn
[4]	160	40	England	Leeds, England	Headingley	20 June 2014	Won
[5]	122	49	Pakistan	Kandy, Sri Lanka	Pallekele Cricket Stadium	3 July 2015	Lost
[6]	102	51	India	Colombo, Sri Lanka	P Sara Oval	20 August 2015	Lost
[7]	110	52	India	Colombo, Sri Lanka	Sinhalese Sports Club Ground	28 August 2015	Lost

One Day International centuries

One Day International centuries of Angelo Mathews
No	Runs	Match	Against	City/Country	Venue	Date	Result
[1]	139*	138	India	Ranchi, India	JSCA International Stadium	16 November 2014	Lost

ODI 5 wicket hauls

#	Figures	Match	Opponent	Venue	City	Country	Year
1	6/20	12	India	R.Premadasa Stadium	Colombo	Sri Lanka	2009

• 2015 Wisden Cricketer of the Year
• Dialog SLC Cricketer of the Year 2015
• Dialog SLC Test All-rounder of the Year 2015
• Dialog SLC ODI All-rounder of the Year 2015

Test Awards

Man of the Match Awards

S No	Series	Season	Match Performance	Result
1	1st Test - Sri Lanka vs Pakistan in UAE Test Series	2013/14	1st Innings - 91 (127 balls, 15x4) ; 13-1-43-1 2nd Innings - 157* (343 balls, 16x4, 1x6); 2-0-9-0	Match Drawn.
2	2nd Test - Sri Lanka in England Test Series	2014	1st Innings - 26 (28 balls, 2x4, 1x6); 16-4-44-4. 2nd Innings - 160 (249 balls, 25x4, 1x6); 10-3-16-0.	Sri Lanka won by 100 runs.

Man of the Series awards

S No	Series	Season	Match Performance	Result
1	Sri Lanka vs Pakistan in UAE Test Series	2013/14	412 runs with 1 century and 2 fifties. Avg. 103.00 1 ct. 38-5-124-2 ; avg. 62.00. (3 matches)	Series Drawn.
2	Sri Lanka in England Test Series	2014	306 runs with 2 centuries. Avg. 76.50 37-9-99-4 ; Avg. 24.75 (2 matches)	Sri Lanka won the series 1-0.

ODI Awards

Man of the Match awards

S No	Opponent	Venue	Date	Match Performance	Result
1	Zimbabwe	Shere Bangla Stadium	12 January 2009	52* (96 balls: 1x4, 2x6); 6–0–19–1	Sri Lanka won by 130 runs.
2	India	R. Premadasa Stadium	12 September 2009	19 (37 balls: 1x4); 6–0–20–6	Sri Lanka won by 139 runs.
3	Australia	MCG	3 November 2010	77* (84 balls: 8x4, 1x6);	Sri Lanka won by 1 wicket.
4	Pakistan	R. Premadasa Stadium	18 June 2012	10–0–41–0; 80* (76 balls: 4x4, 2x6);	Sri Lanka won by 2 wickets.
5	Pakistan	DSC Stadium	20 December 2013	3.4–0–17–0 ; 47(44 balls: 2x4)	Sri Lanka won by 2 wickets.
6	Bangladesh	Shere Bangla Stadium	6 March 2014	10–0–41–0; 1 ct. ; 80* (76 balls: 4x4, 2x6);	Sri Lanka won by 3 wickets.
7	India	JSCA Cricket Stadium	16 November 2014	7–1–33–2; 1 ct. ; 139* (141 balls: 6x4, 10x6);	India won by 3 wickets.
8	Australia	R Premadasa Stadium	24 August 2016	57 (60 balls: 1x4, 2x6); 6-0-17-2 ; 1 ct.	Sri Lanka won by 82 runs.

T20I Awards

Man of the Match Awards

#	Series	Date	Opposition	Match Performance	Result
1	2010 ICC World Twenty20	11 May 2010	India	3–0–29–0; 46 (37 balls: 3x4, 2x6)	Sri Lanka won by 5 wickets.
2	2014 ICC World Twenty20	24 March 2014	Netherlands	4–0–16–3 ; DNB	Sri Lanka won by 9 wickets.
3	2014 ICC World Twenty20	3 April 2014	West Indies	1–0–4–0; 40 (23 balls: 3x4, 2x6)	Sri Lanka won by 27 runs (D/L).
4	Sri Lanka in South Africa	22 January 2017	South Africa	2–0–11–0, 2 ct. ; 54 (50 balls: 1x4, 3x6)	Sri Lanka won by 3 wickets.