Chameera and Mathews to join Sri Lanka’s World Cup squad as reserves

Allrounder Angelo Mathews and fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera will join Sri Lanka’s World Cup squad as travelling reserves.

They are expected to link up with the team on Friday, ahead of Sri Lanka’s fourth league game against Netherlands in Lucknow on Saturday, but can only be drafted into the squad in case of an injury to a player. Fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana had missed their previous game because of a shoulder niggle.

Sri Lanka are presently at the bottom of the points table,  having lost their first three games against South Africa, Pakistan and Australia; they are the only side without a win in the tournament so far.

Their captain Dasun Shanaka has already been ruled out of the tournament with a quadriceps tear, an injury that needs a recovery period of around three weeks, and he was replaced by all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne. Kusal Mendis captained Sri Lanka against Australia in Shanaka’s absence.

Chameera, 31, would have been a first-choice pick in Sri Lanka’s World Cup squad but was not fit enough for selection by the deadline. He last played for Sri Lanka in June against Afghanistan and in the warm-ups of the World Cup qualifier. After that, he was initially out with a torn pectoral muscle, which he suffered ahead of the World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe. And, after recovering from that, he injured himself again in the Lanka Premier League in August.

Mathews has not played an ODI since the first game of the home series against Afghanistan in June, and he last played for Sri Lanka in the Colombo Test against Pakistan in July. Sri Lanka are also without legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who was ruled out of the World Cup with an injury.