Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Mathews admitted on Saturday that the team has “let the entire nation down” following their early exit from the T20 World Cup. Sri Lanka, who won the championship in 2014, will play their final Group D game against the Netherlands on Sunday. They have only earned one point from a washed-out game against Nepal, having lost to Bangladesh and South Africa.
“I think we’ve let the entire nation down and we are really sorry because we’ve also let ourselves down,” said Mathews, a former captain.
“We never expected this outcome. Despite facing many challenges, it’s unfortunate we didn’t advance to the second round.”
Mathews was instrumental in Sri Lanka’s 2014 World Cup win, contributing 40 runs in the semi-final against West Indies and taking 1-25 in the final against India.
On Sunday, Sri Lanka will play against the Netherlands, aiming for a win to avoid finishing last in the group. Mathews, who will play his 90th T20 international, emphasized that they won’t underestimate the Dutch team, especially after Nepal’s narrow one-run loss to South Africa.
“We can’t take any team lightly. It’s unfortunate that our game against Nepal was washed out, but we have one more game in the tournament, and we’ll play for our pride. We haven’t done justice to ourselves, especially in the first two games. We are heartbroken and hurting deeply,” Mathews said.
