New Delhi, June 16 (IANS) Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Chandimal penned a heartfelt tribute for ex-skipper Angelo Mathews, who is set to play his final Test match for Sri Lanka in Galle on Tuesday.

Last month, Mathews announced that he will retire from Tests upon the conclusion of the first match against Bangladesh in Galle. The 37-year-old, who made his Test debut at the same venue against Pakistan in 2009, has been a cornerstone of Sri Lankan cricket for over 15 years, excelling as both an all-rounder and a leader.

“There is no doubt that, Angie, you are one of the rarest and most valuable players Sri Lankan cricket has ever produced. I consider it’s a privilege and a blessing to have played with such a talented player for such a long time. So, I have learnt a lot from you in my cricket career, both as a captain and as a player too,” Chandimal shared on Instagram.

Aggregating 8,167 in 118 games, he is only behind Kumar Sangakkara (12,400) and Mahela Jayawardena (11,814) for most Test runs by a Sri Lankan. He also proved handy with the ball with 33 wickets to his name. He also has the second-most runs at Galle, with 2206 runs across 33 Test matches at the venue.

Mathews will have a chance to add to those runs and wickets in his 119th and final match in whites against Bangladesh, starting on Tuesday. He is also Sri Lanka’s third most successful Test captain, having led the side to 13 wins in 34 matches between 2013 and 2017.

“We will never get to see you and your beautiful smile, who have a humanity beyond that of a player, on the international Test cricket field after today. It’s not an easy thing for me to say goodbye to you, having played with you for a long time in international Test cricket.

“Wishing you nothing but the very best in this next chapter Angi. Sri Lankan test cricket will miss you very much. So lastly, I would say we came together on the field and built a lot of valuable scoring partnerships. But in the end, we built an even better friendship,’ the post further read.

Mathews, however, will remain available for selection in the white-ball formats. His last appearance for Sri Lanka in limited-overs cricket came during their group-stage clash against New Zealand at the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

–IANS

bc/