Quantcast

Mathews ruled out of Australia tour

Sri Lanka skipper's calf injury serious enough to rule him out of remaining ODI and T20 matches against Australia

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews has been ruled out of the final match of the one-day series against Australia with a calf muscle injury.

Mathews picked up the injury as he pushed off to run a quick single in the 27th over of the fourth one-day international in Dambulla on Wednesday.

After receiving treatment, Mathews tried to carry on but eventually hobbled off on 28.

He did limp back to the crease later in Sri Lanka's innings, and was able to advance his score to 40 before popping a catch to George Bailey, but was clearly struggling throughout.

Australia secured a six-wicket win that gave David Warner's team an unassailable 3-1 lead heading into the final game at Pallakele on Sunday (7pm AEST).

Australia thrash Sri Lanka to win series

Mathews later tweeted a picture of himself in a wheelchair but giving a thumbs up, thanking supporters for their encouragement and promising to return to the field as quick as possible.

However, that will now not be possible during this series.

Quik thumbs up to all who wanted to know my status.will be bak on the field soon.will keep u posted#StayBlessed pic.twitter.com/moFQk7TbVS

The 29-year-old will also miss the two Twenty20 matches against the Australians to be played in Colombo, which will also serve as Tillakaratne Dilshan's farewell to international cricket.

Sri Lanka are scheduled to tour South Africa for a Test and one-day series this summer, and will play three T20 internationals in Australia in early 2017.

Allrounder Thisara Perera and left-arm wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan have both been released from the Sri Lanka squad for the final ODI.

Perera had played all four previous ODIs as Sri Lanka's main seam-bowling threat and took 3-33 in Sri Lanka's victory in the second match at Colombo's R Premadasa Stadium. 

The 27-year-old veteran of 114 ODIs has been replaced in the squad by Dasun Shanaka, the 24-year-old who found success on Sri Lanka's ill-fated tour of the British Isles.

The Australians last saw Shanaka in the pre-Test tour match, where he struck 39 and 2 - out to Stephen O'Keefe in both innings - and took 1-55 in 18 overs. Shanaka did take five wickets in an ODI against Ireland in Dublin.

Upul Tharanga and Niroshan Dickwella are the other players to come into the Sri Lanka squad.

Tharanga made his international debut 11 years ago and the veteran of 187 one-day games had modest success with the bat against England in the middle order, hitting one unbeaten half-century.

The 23-year-old Dickwella has played just one previous ODI, against India in 2014 where he scored 4, but does have five List A centuries to his name.

A new skipper has not yet been named for Sri Lanka, who are also yet to name a squad for the T20 matches.