Sri Lankan cricket fans are reeling after their team’s unexpected early exit from the 2024 T20 World Cup. Star all-rounder Angelo Mathews has issued a heartfelt apology, expressing deep regret over the team’s disappointing performance. “I think first of all we’ve let the entire nation down and we are really sorry because we’ve also let ourselves down,” Mathews said.
Source : TOI
Sri Lanka, the champions of the 2014 T20 World Cup, faced a tough time in the current tournament. After losing to Bangladesh and South Africa, their only point came from a washed-out match against Nepal. Mathews, a key player in Sri Lanka’s victorious 2014 campaign, acknowledged the high expectations and the significant letdown.
Source:- BBC news
“We never expected this. We came across a lot of challenges but those are not something to sort of worry about, but it’s unfortunate that we didn’t make the second round,” Mathews added, reflecting on the team’s struggles.
The former skipper played a crucial role in Sri Lanka’s 2014 World Cup win, scoring 40 runs in the semi-final against West Indies and taking 1-25 in the final against India. Now, with just pride at stake, Sri Lanka faces the Netherlands in their final Group D game on Sunday. A victory would at least lift them from the bottom of the table.
Mathews, set to play his 90th T20 international, emphasized the importance of not underestimating their opponents. “We can’t take any given team lightly. It’s unfortunate that our Nepal game was washed out but it is what it is,” he said. “We have just one more game in the tournament, and we’ll play for our pride. We haven’t done justice to ourselves, especially the way we played in the first two games. We are heartbroken and are hurting so much within ourselves.”
As Sri Lanka looks to salvage some pride in their last game, fans and players alike are left reflecting on what went wrong and how to rebuild for future tournaments. For now, the focus remains on finishing the T20 World Cup with a positive note against the Dutch.
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