Veteran Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Mathews has announced that he will retire from Test cricket following the first Test match against Bangladesh in the upcoming two-match series in June. However, the 36-year-old has expressed his willingness to continue playing white-ball cricket if called upon by the team management.
In his farewell statement, Mathews wrote:
“Representing Sri Lanka for the past 17 years has been the greatest achievement and honor of my career. I gave everything I had to the game, and cricket has rewarded me generously in return. I am who I am today because of cricket.”
Mathews also mentioned that he has spoken to the selectors and is ready to make himself available for white-ball cricket, including the T20 World Cup in 2026, which Sri Lanka will co-host.
“I’ve spoken to the selectors. If they need me in white-ball cricket, I’m ready.”
Notably, Mathews has not been part of Sri Lanka’s white-ball squads for nearly a year.
A Glorious Test Career
Mathews made his Test debut in 2009 and has since played 119 Tests for Sri Lanka, captaining the side in 34 of them. He is currently the third-highest run-scorer in Sri Lankan Test history with 8,167 runs, including 16 centuries at an average of 44.62. Only Kumar Sangakkara (12,400) and Mahela Jayawardene (11,814) have more Test runs for Sri Lanka.
His golden period in Test cricket came between 2013 and 2015, during which he scored 2,378 runs batting primarily at No. 5 and 6, with an average close to 60. While he didn’t maintain that form consistently, Mathews enjoyed a strong run in 2022–23, scoring over 2,000 runs at an average of 51.15, mostly batting at No. 4. His most recent Test century came against Afghanistan in February 2023.
Mathews will turn 38 next month. With Sri Lanka having a long break in the Test calendar following the Bangladesh series — their next red-ball assignment being a two-Test series against the West Indies in June-July 2026 — the timing of his retirement aligns with the team’s schedule.
