Latest news with #Mathews'
The Hindu
24-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Mathews bows out as a stalwart who gave it his all for Sri Lanka
Muttiah Muralitharan was hoisted by his teammates on their shoulders amid raucous cheer from a captivated crowd when he signed off in Test cricket with 800 scalps and a resounding 10-wicket victory against a star-studded India in Galle in July 2010. When Kumar Sangakkara hung up his boots in August 2015, also against India in Colombo, he was Sri Lanka's highest-ever run-scorer and widely feted as one of the greatest batters from the subcontinent. A few months prior to Sangakkara's exit, his close friend Mahela Jayawardene bid adieu with a half-century in his final innings in an emphatic 105-run win over Pakistan at Colombo. In terms of longevity and straining every sinew for Sri Lanka, Angelo Mathews, fourth on the list of the country's most capped Test players with 119 appearances over a 16-year span, is right up there with the illustrious names just mentioned. But it is symptomatic of Sri Lanka's corrosive decline over the past decade that Mathews' Test career came to a close last Saturday after a drab draw against Bangladesh in Galle even as the attention of the cricketing world was firmly fixed on a mouthwatering battle between heavyweights England and India at Headingley. When the 38-year-old walked out to bat for the final time in his Test career, Sri Lanka was 34 for two on day five and attempting to salvage a stalemate in a contest where both teams piled on big first-innings totals. He chewed up 45 deliveries and scored eight runs before an inside-edge onto his pad off left-arm spinner Taijul Islam popped to Mominul Haque at silly point. In the first essay, after getting a guard of honour from the Bangladesh players, he fell to Mominul's slow left-arm orthodox on 39. Having been dropped from the T20I team a year ago and the ODI team after the 2023 World Cup in India — where he became the first batter in international cricket, incidentally against Bangladesh, to be dismissed timed out — Mathews' decision to announce his Test retirement ahead of the Bangladesh series was a matter of practicality rather than necessarily losing the drive to train and compete. With Sri Lanka's next Test assignment against the West Indies in the Caribbean being a year away — a grim reality about the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP) that highlights the chasm between the 'Big Three' and the other Test-playing nations — he saw little point in carrying on beyond the Galle Test. He remains available for selection in the white-ball formats. 'I played my 100th Test in Galle, so I thought I'd say goodbye in Galle. But the main reason was because we don't have any games coming up, at least for now. After this, we'll be having our next assignment in Test cricket after a year's time, that is a very long wait,' Mathews told the media ahead of his Test farewell versus Bangladesh. 'I thought it's good to give an opportunity to whoever is going to replace me in the second Test, because he's not going to get an opportunity till the next year. And in that year, you don't know what's going to happen. So I thought I'd just play one game and then try and give an opportunity to the other guy who's replacing me in the second Test.' A beautiful tribute to a cricketing icon. Before his final Test, Angelo Mathews was honored in a special ceremony on the hallowed grounds of Galle, joined by his proud family.#ThankYouAngelo# — Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) June 17, 2025 It may not be the ideal way to walk into the sunset, but that shouldn't take anything away from Mathews' stellar Test career. To finish with 8214 runs at an average of 44.4 with 16 centuries, including a best of 200, means he will go down as one of Sri Lanka's most prolific run-makers behind Sangakkara and Jayawardene. He was also a shrewd medium-pacer before a body battered by injuries compelled him to cut down on his bowling. All-round skill Right from the moment that he burst onto the international scene in 2009, it felt like Sri Lanka had found a pot of gold. In a nation traditionally starved of genuine pace-bowling all-rounders, much like neighbouring India, Mathews was a ray of sunshine with all the right ingredients to become one of the best of his breed in the business. Certainly in the first half of his career, as part of a highly-skilled and eclectic Sri Lankan outfit shaped by the sharp minds of Sangakkara and Jayawardene, Mathews' performances were on par with the high expectations. Sample his numbers till the end of 2015: after 56 Tests, he had tallied 4015 runs at 50.18. With the ball as well, 30 of the 33 scalps that he has ended with came in this period. He was at his peak as a Test batter across 2013 and 2014, averaging more than 70 in both years and producing stupendous knocks that embodied his game awareness and sublime range. A case in point is a Test against Pakistan at Abu Dhabi that began on December 31, 2013. Across two innings, Mathews, who had become captain earlier that year, showcased starkly contrasting and yet equally effective approaches. In the first, he strode in at 76 for four with Jayawardene already back in the pavilion. Soon, Sri Lanka would be 82 for five with Sangakkara, too, making the long walk back. Mathews' riposte was a brilliant, counterattacking 91 off just 127 balls in a modest total of 204. Second time around, with Pakistan amassing a lead of 179 runs, the Lankans were effectively seven for four and on the cusp of defeat when Mathews marked his guard at the start of day four. What followed was a show of supreme defiance as Mathews dug in for seven hours and 34 minutes, scoring 157 off 343 deliveries without getting dislodged to help his side eke out a hard-fought draw. Best knock As marvellous as these two innings in the desert were, it is hard to look beyond his 160 against England at Headingley in the summer of 2014 as his greatest knock. After scraping a nerve-wracking draw against Alastair Cook's men in the opener at Lord's, where Mathews hit a first-innings ton, the visitors seemed to have no escape route when they were reduced to 277 for seven, an overall lead of just 169 runs, in the second dig in Leeds. But Mathews, once again, stood up to be the saviour. With Rangana Herath willing to put a price on his wicket at the other end, Mathews, all nous and nerves of steel, delivered a masterclass in batting with the tail. He cobbled together a 149-run stand for the eighth wicket with the left-arm spinner against an English attack led by James Anderson as Sri Lanka stretched its total to 457 and secured a memorable 1-0 series win. That he had figures of 16-4-44-4 in the first innings was a testament to his all-round prowess. In the shorter formats, too, Mathews was irrepressible. Just how significant he was to the set-up can be understood from Sangakkara's assertion that the all-rounder's absence for the 2011 ODI World Cup final against India due to injury was a major factor in Sri Lanka's defeat. 'If you take our entire campaign, whatever we did, Mathews' overs and his ability to bat with the tail and read situations was an incredible bonus to us. He was a young chap who came into the side and from day one he could read situations. It's just instinct, how to up the rate, how to control the bowler, when to accelerate. The composition of the side and the fact that we were forced to make the change was to me the turning point,' Sangakkara said in a chat with ace off-spinner R. Ashwin in 2020. Besides the 2011 50-over World Cup, Mathews was also a core member of the team that finished runner-up in the 2009 and 2012 T20 World Cups. The curse of losing a spree of finals came to an end in the 2014 edition when the islanders got past India by six wickets to give Sangakkara and Jayawardene a perfect swansong from the shortest format. Mathews, as ever, played his part with figures of one for 25 in four overs. In these years, Mathews was able to feed off the imposing presence of Sangakkara and Jayawardene and do his thing. But once the two grizzled veterans walked away in quick succession, Mathews had to bear a bulk of the burden as the skipper and senior statesman. Curiously, he played more matches than anyone else in international cricket from 2010 to 2015, which perhaps resulted in the spate of injuries and fitness issues in the latter half of his career. Mathews hit rock bottom in 2018 when he was sacked as limited-overs captain, removed from the team altogether and mocked for his fitness and running between the wickets by then coach Chandika Hathurusingha. Some others may have found the challenge of bouncing back and silencing detractors at that stage too demanding, but not the man from Colombo. 'It was in 2018 that I sat down with Dilshan Fonseka (men's team trainer) and looked at the amount of injuries that I had. He told me that my body couldn't bear it. So I changed everything — the way I eat, my lifestyle, and my training,' Mathews recollected in a recent interview to ESPNCricinfo. And to underline that he isn't the sort of character to take things lying down, he celebrated a rearguard Test hundred against New Zealand in Wellington in December that year by doing push-ups and flexing his right bicep in the direction of Hathurusingha in the Sri Lankan dressing room. Looking back, Mathews says he doesn't have much to regret in his career except the fact that he didn't join the 10,000-run club in Tests. 'I couldn't achieve the 10,000-run mark. But every other thing, I've given my best in every situation,' Mathews reflected in that interview. 'I've tried to win games for my country in every situation. Giving 100% to your team in every single game is another thing, so I was wanting to play all three formats and contribute with bat, ball, and in the field, in every single game. I was absolutely going for it.' Anybody who watched him over these years will attest to that last bit. Just as Sri Lanka has found it impossible to fill the proverbial big shoes of Muralitharan, Sangakkara and Jayawardene then, Mathews will be an extremely hard act to follow.
India Today
21-06-2025
- Sport
- India Today
Beating England, Australia: Angelo Mathews picks top Test memories after goodbye
Veteran Sri Lanka all-rounder Angelo Mathews officially brought his storied Test career to an end on June 21 after Sri Lanka's drawn Test against Bangladesh in Galle. Following the match, Mathews reflected on his journey and named two standout moments from his 15-year-long stint in red-ball cricket—Sri Lanka's historic Test series win in England in 2014 and their 3-0 whitewash of Australia at home in who made his Test debut in 2009, was part of both landmark triumphs and played a central role in each. In 2014, under his captaincy, Sri Lanka defeated England 1-0 in a two-match series—their first-ever Test series win on English soil. Two years later, Mathews again led from the front as Sri Lanka stunned Australia in a dominant 3-0 sweep at home, with a side stacked with young spinners and emerging vs BAN, 1st Test Day 5: Updates "Since I announced my retirement, I cannot believe the love I have received. Certainly overwhelmed (with the love). Ever so grateful to all of you, who have supported me throughout. Not an easy journey - lots of ups and downs, but through it all, I was able to do it because of the support I received," Mathews said during the post-match win against England in England, and whitewashing the Australians in Sri Lanka 3-0 - that was a huge highlight and honour, achieved by the entire team," he series wins came during Mathews' captaincy tenure and are widely regarded as two of Sri Lanka's finest achievements in modern Test cricket. Reflecting after his final match in Galle, the 37-year-old acknowledged these two campaigns as the defining moments of his red-ball the Galle Test against Bangladesh, Mathews signed off with scores of 39 and 8. While his final innings may not have been among his most impactful, it was marked by tributes from teammates and opponents alike. He received a guard of honour during the first innings and was warmly applauded by the Bangladesh players as he exited the Test arena for the last concludes his career as Sri Lanka's third-highest run-scorer in Test cricket, with 8,214 runs in 119 matches at an average of 44.4, including 16 centuries and 49 fifties. Only Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have scored more Test runs for the being Sri Lanka's youngest-ever Test captain to becoming a pillar of stability through transitional years, Mathews' legacy is built as much on leadership as it is on performance. And fittingly, the two moments he cherishes most are the ones that brought immense pride to his nation.
United News of India
16-06-2025
- Sport
- United News of India
Mathews slams shrinking Test calendar for SL
Galle, June 16 (UNI) Veteran all-rounder Angelo Mathews, playing his farewell Test series against Bangladesh at Galle, has voiced deep concern over Sri Lanka's shrinking Test calendar, calling it "quite sad" and urging the global cricketing fraternity to ensure greater equity for nations outside the Big Three. "This is the first time since 2008 that I've played only four Test matches in a year," Mathews told reporters ahead of the first Test against Bangladesh. "It's quite sad. The younger generation is eager to play Test cricket – the pinnacle of the game. We must push for at least ten matches a year." Mathews compared Sri Lanka's schedule with those of England, India, and Australia, who each play upwards of 15 Tests annually. "Why can't we play as many? We've won World Cups, produced legends, and contributed richly to cricket. We deserve the same opportunities." His remarks have reignited debate around the structure of the ICC's Future Tours Programme (FTP), which many feel is skewed in favour of a few dominant nations. Mathews' comments resonate with growing calls from former players and administrators to democratise Test cricket. Speaking emotionally during his final appearance in whites, the 37-year-old also paid tribute to his parents when asked who his heroes were. "My heroes are my parents. I know the struggle they went through to raise me and my siblings. I learned so much from them about life. They are the reason I'm here." Mathews, who began his international journey as a promising all-rounder in 2008, acknowledged the physical toll of playing across all formats. "Until about 2015, I played all formats and didn't manage my workload well – especially as captain. I gave everything to win every game, and it eventually took a toll on my body. But I have no regrets. I gave my best for my country." As Sri Lanka looks to transition into a new era, Mathews' farewell has not only stirred emotion but also sparked a critical conversation about the future of Test cricket in the island nation. UNI BDN RN
IOL News
09-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
The congress of the people and the Freedom Charter: lessons for national social dialogue
On 26 June 2025, South Africa will mark 70 years since the historic adoption of the charter in Kliptown near Johannesburg. Image: IOL / Independent Newspapers Barely a year after the defiant campaign was launched by the African National Congress (ANC) and its alliance partners on 26 June 1952, primarily to oppose the unjust and discriminatory laws of the apartheid government, the mobilised populace of various races inspired Professor ZK Mathews. In 1953, he proposed gathering and soliciting the people's demands, immediate challenges, and suggestions regarding the future they envisioned for South Africa. Professor Mathews' proposal was accepted and culminated in extensive consultation, which led to the Congress of the People's (CoP) convention and the drafting and adoption of the Freedom Charter on 26 June 1955. This means that on 26 June 2025, South Africa will mark 70 years since the historic adoption of the charter in Kliptown near Johannesburg. This milestone and the people's document will be commemorated in the context of assessing the implementation of its clauses, or lack thereof, over thirty-one years following the democratic breakthrough in 1994. However, this article analyses how the Congress of the People and the Freedom Charter were convened and adopted, chiefly focusing on the clause 'the people shall govern', in the quest for the lessons that can be drawn for the envisaged convention of national social dialogue in South Africa. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The intensive and extensive consultation, along with the politicisation of society a year before the convention of the COP, epitomised a true reflection of 'the people shall govern'. This assertion is aptly captured by a former member of the first democratic parliament of South Africa, Dr Ismail Vadi, who states that in 1954, the National Action Council (NAC) was established to oversee the comprehensive preparations for the COP and drafting of the charter. This structure of five members ensured that provincial, regional, and local action councils and committees were in place, each with well-defined roles and responsibilities. Afterwards, Vadi indicates that there was a call for volunteers to serve in the structures; the volunteers were trained to ensure that they do not only collected the demands of the people but also discussed the political issues of the moment and ensured that the elections of delegates to the COP reflected the demographic profile of, and the existing progressive organisations in, the length and breadth of the country. In his opinion, Joe Slovo, the former General Secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP) and member of the draft team of the Freedom Charter, posited that the COP was the 'most representative assembly ever held in South Africa.' However, this document has been subjected to public scrutiny for the past decades, and political activist Professor Raymond Sutter argues that, freedom charter, today remains a document of basic human right which we can learn from as we attempt to reconstruct the future, in his view, its emancipatory character is more relevant than its content. It has been over a decade since a call was made to reset the country's vision by reconvening the national dialogue. Therefore, the Government of National Unity (GNU) and all political parties represented in Parliament must, in the context and spirit of the clause 'the people shall govern', genuinely listen to and heed South Africans' progressive call and convene a national dialogue. However, valuable lessons can be drawn from how COP was convened and how consultations, political discussions, and the critical issues of that time, which required resolution, were conducted and documented. Additionally, the processes involved in selecting and electing delegates were significant. Nevertheless, I support the call for foundations named after eminent South Africans to be empowered to fulfil a role similar to that of the National Action Council in preparing for the proposed national dialogue. Eight years ago, in support of the convention for national dialogue, former Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe stated that history is not written solely with pen and paper, but also through the actions of ordinary people who understand the socio-historical essence of dialogue as a trans-generational imperative that has shaped and continues to shape the soul of our nation. In light of the debate surrounding national dialogue in South Africa, the fundamental question is whether the parliaments of African countries genuinely reflect the people's aspirations and visions. For instance, last year in Kenya, parliament proposed a financial bill to increase taxes, including Value Added Tax. The bill faced overwhelming opposition; nevertheless, parliament adopted it, leading to widespread protests among Kenyans that forced President William Ruto to reverse it. In March this year, the Minister of Finance in South Africa, Enoch Godongwana, prepared a budget speech proposing an increase in Value Added Tax. His proposal was opposed by political parties in parliament, and in his revised speech in May 2025, he stated that the proposed VAT increase has been reversed because the government listens to South Africans. That claim by the Finance Minister is devoid of truth because politicians in parliament discussed that budget without the opinions of ordinary people. Former President Thabo Mbeki correctly said that the country's entire future cannot be delegated to politicians alone; the people must be part of the process to determine the destiny of their country. Therefore, it has become clear that 'people shall govern' has been reduced to political slogans and not necessarily a policy statement that seeks to tangibly involve the people. This highlights the need for a national social dialogue, and I do not believe that the GNU is willing to convene it. In October 2024, the Deputy President, Paul Mashatile, publicly announced that the inaugural national dialogue was to be convened on 16th December 2024, to prepare for the 2025 national social dialogue; however, he later announced the postponement without setting a new date. It has been almost eight months, and nothing seems to be progressing on that front. My assertion is supported by the Minister of Finance, who recently stated that the budget has no provision for national social dialogue. Regrettably, the fuel levy has been increased to address the shortfall in the National Budget. However, in 2018, President Cyril Ramaphosa received the Justice Nugent commission report regarding the inquiry into the South African Revenue Service (SARS). The recommendations were unequivocal, and it is alleged that over eight million was expended on the commission. I contend that SARS could have recouped sufficient funds to prevent this increase in the fuel levy had the recommendations been adequately implemented. Numerous commissions of inquiry are established without full execution or consideration of the recommendations; nevertheless, national social dialogue cannot be funded. There are some disturbing calls for the creation of independent states within the state in South Africa, serves as a pressing need for an in-depth discussion; I concur with the former Minister of Finance, Mcebisi Jonas, that the consensus of 1994 has disintegrated and a wider social conversation is necessary to revitalise the country's vision. Orapeleng Matshediso is a Masters graduate of Pan African Development Studies and Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg (Institute for Pan African Thought and Conversation). The author is also an alumnus of the then Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute (TMALI). Orapeleng Matshediso is a Masters graduate of Pan African Development Studies and Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg (Institute for Pan African Thought and Conversation). Image: Supplied.
