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Angelo Mathews: The next big thing...??
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Articles -
Classics
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Thursday, 01 July 2010 11:07 |
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Contributed by Mayank Jhaveri
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(17506 views) |
Over the years, Sri Lanka has produced some incredible players like Chaminda Vaas, Arjuna Ranatunga and Sanath Jayasuriya. Seeing the rise of Angelo Mathews, I felt he is another great talent from the island country nation. Not only does this youngster have the ability, but also the temperament and hunger to perform at the big stage. Anyone and everyone who has seen Mathews’ performances have liked him.
Mathews started getting noticed at a very early age of 16 when he made it to Sri Lanka under-19 team and has been a consistent performer ever since. He went on to captain the U-19 team and after a successful first class season, he got selected for the Sri Lanka A side. He has over and over again shown that he not only does he have the capability to change a match with his bat, but can also bowl really well. He has been successful when opening the bowling as well as being 1st or 2nd change bowler. To add to this, he is a good athlete around the field.
Having seen him play some crucial knocks late in the order under pressure, I could not digest the fact that he is just 23. Every time the Lankans seem to be in trouble, he is there to save the day or at least give a fight. At this young age he is among the world's best all-rounders in limited overs cricket. Even in the IPL 3, his performances were crucial for his team as he won the MOM awards in his team's first two matches. Every time he steps on the field, he comes up with a responsible performance and impresses one and all.
One thing about Mathews' game is still questionable and that is his ability as a test bowler. In the limited overs format, he has shown good variety with his ability to move the ball around, slower bouncers and change of lengths, but this might not be enough for the ultimate version of the game. His record so far as a test bowler isn't all that impressive either, but he has played just seven matches so it’s probably a little early to draw conclusions. I strongly feel that if Mathews does well as a test bowler, he is going to be a key member in the Sri Lankan team for the next ten years or maybe even more.
As a cricket fan, I would definitely want him to stay around the international scene because talents like him don't show up very often. In one of his interviews I read that he wants to be like Sir Gary Sobers. I think he will be more than happy if he gets anywhere near him but whether he ends up reaching that level is all up to him.
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Last Updated on Thursday, 20 December 2012 16:07 |
