Beating England was the greatest achievement for our test side: Angelo Mathews

In a conversation with Disha Shetty, Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews talks about his evolution as a batsman and captain, the lessons he has learnt from seniors like Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara and more ahead of India series which starts tomorrow. Excerpts



It’s almost two years since you took over as the captain. What lessons have you learnt so far?

Angelo Mathews: As a captain, you need to listen to people. It is a part of man management. In a team there are different types of players, their personalities differ; we can’t handle each of them in the same manner. Making collective decisions is also an important factor. As a captain, one has to be a team player.



Sri Lanka were going through a tough time when you took over as captain. Did that tough perod ever bog you down?

Angelo Mathews: I never took it that way. In fact, it helped me for the better. The challenge was certainly huge for me at that time. The team was also going through a crisis regarding the player contracts. So taking a huge responsibility at such a young age, I was proud of it.



When you were made captain, SL had three ex-captains Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan, playing in the team. Did that affect the dynamics in any way?

Angelo Mathews:They had played the game enough when I was appointed as the captain, and having led the side before, they understood how it works when a young guy takes over. In fact, they were a great source of inspiration for the past couple of years. I never had to handle them any differently. They ensured insured that the team is always going on the right track.



Has the split captaincy – Lasith Malinga leading the Twenty20 International team – affected your game in any way?

Angelo Mathews: Oh, it hasn’t affected me at all. Whether you are the captain or not, your role in the team is predetermined. The team expects a lot from you as a player. So whether you captain one format and don’t lead the side in the other format, it doesn’t affect me.



You’ve also got the best out of your players …

Angelo Mathews: We all make collective decisions but, of course, I take the final call. We guys back each other whenever one goes through a rough patch. Rangana Herath has been brilliant in the past couple of years and also Dhammika Prasad, whenever he gets the opportunity, he’s performed really well. So I can’t take credit for anything, it is their hard work.

The England tour seemed to have brought the best out of you as batsman and as captain?

Angelo Mathews: When you play against England in England you have to be very positive. Especially as a batsman, one has to go with the mindset of scoring runs and not so much defending balls. Winning all three formats in England was tremendous and I think that was one of our greatest achievements as a Test side.

How is Sri Lanka coping with life after Mahela Jayawardene in Test matches?

Angelo Mathews: It is a massive gap to fill. And I think no one can just walk into his place. He’s done brilliant in the past 17 years and he has contributed immensely to Sri Lanka cricket. So I think it’s just impossible to fill his gap, but having said that, there are a few exciting young players who have come through the ranks and I hope they’ll live up to the expectations.

(Wisden India)