Sri Lankan stalwart Angelo Mathews will bid adieu to Test cricket after the series opener against Bangladesh in Galle, starting June 17. Mathews, who turns 38 in a few weeks, will bring the curtains down on an illustrious Test career that commenced at the very same venue in July 2009. While this puts a full stop to his red-ball journey, he has made himself available for white-ball cricket if the selectors need his services.
“It is time for me to say goodbye to the most cherished format of the game, international Test Cricket! I have given everything to cricket and cricket has given me everything in return and made me the person I am today,” Mathews wrote in a social media post.
Mathews will earn his 119th cap in the format in the Galle Test, 34 of which he played as captain. He is going to finish as Sri Lanka’s third-highest run-getter in Tests, next best only to legends Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. Heading into his swansong, his tally reads 8,167 runs at an average of 44.62, with 16 centuries and a top score of 200*. He was a decent trundler as well, chipping in with 33 wickets.
Thank you, Angelo Mathews, for 17 years of dedication, resilience, and brilliance in Test cricket🇱🇰 🏏
Angelo Mathews retires from Test cricket. His final red-ball match will be against Bangladesh in June.#LKA #AngeloMathews #Cricket #SriLanka pic.twitter.com/tUPzpscOgd
— Sri Lanka Tweet 🇱🇰 (@SriLankaTweet) May 23, 2025
The zenith of his career was between 2013 and 2015, when he averaged 74.60, 77.33 and 42.25 across the three years, notching up six hundreds and a dozen fifties. That purple patch included a masterful 160 in the second innings in Sri Lanka’s memorable win at Headingley. Though he never quite attained that level of success again, Mathews averaged north of 50 in both 2022 and 2023, crafting four more centuries. His most recent ton came against Afghanistan in 2024.
“I stand grateful to the game and thankful to the thousands of Sri Lanka cricket fans who have been there for me throughout my career during my highest of highs and lowest of lows,” Mathews wrote. “I believe this Test team is a talented side with many future and present greats playing the game. Now seems like the best time to make way for a younger player to take the mantle to shine for our nation.
“A chapter ends but the love for the game will always remain.”
