ANGELO Mathews already has been anointed as Sri Lanka’s next captain but a repeat in Australia this summer of his stunning form against Michael Clarke’s side last year would surely remove any doubt about him succeeding Mahela Jayawardene.
Mathews, 25, has been endorsed by Jayawardene as his successor and he also has the reassurance of being Sri Lanka’s present vice-captain. But nothing is ever set in stone in the volatile world of Sri Lankan cricket, especially since there are also two former Test captains in the touring side in Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan.
To be fair, Mathews seems the person least concerned about any future promotion. “That’s totally up to the selectors,” he said yesterday. “If they think I’m ready, I’m ready.”
Certainly on the strength of his batting against Australia in the three-Test series in Sri Lanka in August-September 2011 he looks more than ready — 274 runs at 91.33, capped by an unbeaten 105 in the final Test in Colombo. And with scores of 79, 47 and 84 to show for his three innings at home against the Black Caps in November, his present form is not too shabby either.
Source: The Australian
