Gave up athletics for cricket, says Mathews

Yasaratne GAMAGE

“Dedication, hard work and commitment was the key to my success as a cricketer” said all rounder Angelo Mathews addressing the gathering which was present to felicitate him at his alma mater, St Joseph’s College sports complex yesterday.

It was at St Joseph’s College that Angelo learnt his basics in cricket. Speaking further Mathews recalled how he took to cricket leaving the 100 metre event in which he had shown a keen interest and won the event on many occasions during his childhood.

“I excelled in 100 metres when I was a kid at school, district and provincial levels but it was my father who suggested me to play cricket. Luckily and wisely I switched to cricket. Since then there was no looking back. It is a great honour for me to captain the Josephian cricket team in all age categories”.Angelo has been a key player in Sri Lanka under 19, Basnahira North, Colts Cricket Club and Kolkata Knight Riders during his career up to date. Mathews made his debut for Sri Lanka Under-19 team when he was just 16 years old, against Pakistan in 2003.

A permanent fixture in the youth side since his debut, he was handed the captaincy for the 2005 tour of England.

After a quiet debut in first-class cricket in 2007-08, he made big strides with 696 runs at an average of 58 carried his good form in to Sri Lanka ‘A’ tour of South Africa. His performances there won the praise of the coach Chandika Hathurusingha, who identified him as one of the future prospects for the national team and he made it to the national side for the tour of Zimbabwe in 2008.

Speaking on the occasion the Rector of St. Joseph’s Fr. Sylvester Ranasinghe thanked Angelo Mathews for being present at the felicitation ceremony and said that he expected Angelo to be Sri Lanka’s captain in the future.

He further added that outgoing Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara had said that Angelo has all the credentials for the national captaincy.

Angelo Mathews handed over the Munchee Trophy to the skipper of St Joseph’s College Roscoe Thattil during the ceremony.