Mathews and Chameera to join World Cup squad as traveling reserves

Sri Lankan cricketers Angelo Mathews and Dushmantha Chameera are set to travel to India to join the Sri Lanka squad as travelling reserves for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed.

The decision was taken by the SLC Selectors in order to ensure that the team has ready replacements in place to face contingencies, such as an injury to an existing squad member.

Accordingly, Mathews and Chameera are set to join the team tomorrow (20 Oct.).
Sri Lanka’s next game will be against the Netherlands, which will be played in Lucknow, India on 21 October.

Sri Lanka is at the bottom of the ICC World Cup points table with no win from three matches.

The Lankans recently lost the services of captain Dasun Shanaka who suffered a thigh injury and was replaced in the squad by Chamika Karunaratne.

Sri Lanka are already missing ace spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who was unable to recover in time from his hamstring injury.

Even Dushmantha Chameera had been ruled out when the Sri Lanka World Cup squad was announced. Chameera had suffered a shoulder injury which was the reason he was not considered for the CWC 2023 squad.

Former captain Angelo Mathews, on the other hand, had not been in the plans of Sri Lankan selectors and was not picked for the ICC World Cup qualifiers early this year as well as the World Cup squad.