Lack of tests drove behind Angelo Mathews’ pension? – Inside Sport India

One of Sri Lanka’s Test legends, Angelo Mathews, has sounded the alarm bell ahead of the beginning of the WTC 2025-27 cycle. As he retires from international cricket after the Galle Test, he has pointed out the absence of Test cricket in Sri Lanka’s calendar as a reason. Sri Lanka will only play 12 Tests in this World Test Championship cycle. There will be a one-year gap between the current SL vs BAN Test series and their next Test series.

“I played my 100th Test in Galle, so I thought I’d say goodbye in Galle. But the main reason was that 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 reporters ahead of his farewell Test.

Testing time for Test cricket

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sri Lanka Cricket Team has played only 26 Tests. In 2025, the island nation will play only 4 Tests, including the SL vs BAN Test series. Their next Test assignment will be in a year, in June of 2026, against the West Indies. Overall, Sri Lanka will play just 12 Tests in the WTC 2025-27 cycle. With Test cricket slowly going off the calendar for teams outside the Big 3 (India, Australia and England), Angelo Mathews is sad.

“I think it’s quite sad to be honest. I feel there has to be a minimum of 10 matches at least in a year. Teams like England, India or Australia are playing 15-plus games a year. Why can’t we play? We can. If we keep pushing, I mean, we have to. We have won World Cups. We have done so much for cricket as a nation, and we deserve to play Test cricket, just like Australia, India and England,” said Mathews, who has played 118 Tests, scoring 8167 runs and bagging 33 wickets.

Mathews made his Test debut in 2009 at Galle and also played his 100th Test at the same venue. He will also retire at the same venue with the SL vs BAN Galle Test.

Number of Tests in Sri Lanka’s calendar