Earlier this week former Sri Lanka Captain Angelo Mathews told Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) that he is considering retirement and opted out of the series against India.
Speaking on this matter, Aravinda de Silva, who is currently the SLC technical advisory committee chairman, said that it will be a pity if any senior player is leaving in this manner. “It is a pity if he has decided to quit at this stage,” De Silva said as quoted by The New Indian Express. “I see him as a guy who contributed a lot to Sri Lanka cricket. Any senior players, I would not like to see him leave in this sort of manner.”
The former Sri Lankan player further called the issue of the contract trivial and said it is important to put aside these matters and issues with the board and look at the future of Sri Lankan cricket.
He continued, “If this opportunity was given to me, I would have taken it and accepted it with both hands and gone out there and done what I knew best.
Reacting to Arjuna Ranatunga’s comment of calling India’s white-ball squad as ‘second-string’, de Silva said, “I personally think any side who would come and make a change and play exciting cricket and India as you know, they have enormous talent.”
“There is no way you can call any side a second string. If you look at the current way of handling players, there is a rotational basis all over the world, and players being in the bubble has become very challenging, it is not easy,” he said. (NDTV)