When Angelo Mathews burst onto the scene, it felt like Sri Lanka had found their very own Jacques Kallis in the making – a brisk seamer who could bend his back with the ball and a batsman who brought both silk and steel to the crease. He had the technique to weather any storm and the temperament to anchor innings under pressure. But as the years ticked by, it became clear he wouldn't quite climb into Kallis' league. Still, Mathews hung up his boots as Sri Lanka's third-highest run-getter in Test history, only behind the twin towers – Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.
From early on, the script had greatness penciled in. Mathews turned heads at two Under-19 World Cups and led the second on home soil. The big league beckoned soon after and he found himself rubbing shoulders with a dressing room full of heavyweights. But fate, as fickle as a worn pitch on Day Five, had other plans – his body often gave out just when his career seemed ready to take flight.
With legends exiting stage left within the span of 18 months, the baton fell to Mathews far sooner than expected. It wasn’t easy carrying the load on his shoulders – he was often a one-man army trying to plug holes in a sinking ship. But while other sides crumbled post-transition, Sri Lanka stayed afloat, thanks in no small part to Mathews’ resolve.
His finest hour came at Headingley in 2014 – a cricketing cauldron where reputations are made or broken. With the tail for company, Mathews batted like a man possessed, eking out every run to set up Sri Lanka’s maiden series win on English soil. Earlier in the series, he’d scored a century at Lord’s – his very first outing at the Home of Cricket. Talk about a debut to remember.
Leadership too came calling early. At 25 years and 279 days, Mathews became Test captain – eclipsing none other than Aravinda de Silva in the record books as the nation’s youngest Test captain. Big boots? He didn’t buckle under the pressure. The highlight of his captaincy came in 2016, when Sri Lanka steamrolled a full-strength Australia 3–0. Steve Smith’s men were run ragged as Mathews marshaled his troops like a seasoned general.
And then, just as momentum gathered, he stepped down. Cricket politics had started to creep in like uninvited guests and the toll was showing.
In recent months, the writing was on the wall. With Sri Lanka losing four consecutive Tests to WTC finalists Australia and South Africa, and with Mathews’ own returns dwindling, Father Time was knocking on the door. The final straw? Only four Tests scheduled for the year. For a man who held the red-ball game sacred, that was as good as being asked to pad up for a rain-curtailed net session.
He’s expressed willingness to continue in white-ball formats, but the selectors may have already turned the page. Even so, his impact can’t be overstated. When the stars had dimmed and hope flickered, Mathews stood tall – leading from the front and holding things together with grit, grace, and gumption.
Now, fittingly, he returns to Galle – where his journey began in 2009 – for his swansong. Cricket’s circle of life, poetic and poignant. The curtain falls, the crowd rises and Mathews walks back into the pavilion of memories – one of Sri Lanka’s finest, flawed perhaps, but never found wanting in heart.
It’s been an amazing run representing my country for the last 17 years. As a kid, all what I wanted was to play in just one Test match and to do it for over 100 Tests is a blessing indeed. Very proud about what I have accomplished and as a team we had some great memories. Always grateful for people who stood by me throughout my career. It has been an amazing run, but I feel now is the time to go and give a young player an opportunity.
