SLC chief selector de Mel concerned over Angelo Mathews’ fitness – Cricket News Update
The Sri Lanka Cricket chief selector, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ashantha-Lakdasa-Francis-de-Mel-c46253, on Tuesday expressed concern over Angelo Mathews' fitness and asked the injured all-rounder to be wary of managing his workload in the ongoing fifth edition of lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL),
spanning 54 days.
Mathews, the 24-year-old Colombo all-rounder has been battling various injury issues of late and failed to clear the fitness test for the first Test of the two-match home series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 and played the second match only as a batsman.
However, just a week after the second Test against England, the Sri Lankan all-rounder was seen bowling for his IPL franchise Pune http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Punjab-c833, where he delivered three overs claiming a scalp as well. Just two days later, the Colombo
right-arm medium pacer again delivered two overs against Chennai Super Kings, prompting the selectors back home to advise him of being mindful of injury issues.
"As selectors, we don't have any control over the IPL. We can't tell them what to do and what not to do," said the national chairman of selectors, Ashantha de Mel, speaking to the media reporters on Tuesday. "In the IPL, the maximum he will bowl is four
overs...The duration of the game is also short. However, there is a strain on his body,” the SLC chief selector added further.
Mathews himself had revealed last month that over the past one year he had been nursing knee, ankle and quadriceps problems. De Mel warned that bowling could cut short Mathews’ cricketing career.
"The problem is if he gets injured. I have personally told him that if he bowls, his career will be shortened,” said the Sri Lankan chairman of selectors adding that the players should be clear what is their preference, playing the IPL or playing for the
country.
De Mel said that Mathews, the vice captain of national team, is a key player for them from the World T20 Championship perspective and the board does not want to lose him to injuries.
To date Mathews has played 25 T20 Internationals for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 scoring 312 runs and claiming 15 wickets. The latest edition of the World T20 Championship will be hosted by Sri Lanka in September this year.
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