Mathews: We've let down fans and country

Omnisports

March 26, 2016 8:55 AM

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews said the defending champions let down an entire nation after crashing out of the World Twenty20.

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Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews said the defending champions let down an entire nation after crashing out of the World Twenty20, though he did highlight some positives.

Mathews and Co. were eliminated with one match to spare in the Super 10 stage as England claimed a 10-run win on Saturday, despite a heroic performance from Mathews.

After slumping to 15-4 in the first six overs, Mathews posted an unbeaten 73 off 54 balls to help Sri Lanka come within touching distance of England's imposing 171-4 total in Delhi.

The defeat consigned Sri Lanka to a second defeat in three games ahead of their final Group 1 clash against Afghanistan on Monday and while the campaign has been disappointing, Mathews insisted no rash decisions will be made in regards to team selection.

"It was a close game to be honest. After losing four wickets in the first six overs, it was a good comeback by the batting order," Mathews told reporters.

"At the end of the day we ended up losing and credit to England as they held their nerve towards the end."

Mathews added: "I think it has been a disappointing few months for all of us. We've let down the fans and the whole country. We haven't played good cricket at all and we are really disappointed.

"All we can do is try and stick to a combination and not try to change the team too much. After six months we'll give them the opportunity to settle down and then try to see if they have improved performances then we can make decisions. We've got to try and be patient."

Omnisports

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