Sri Lanka have become a fallen giant in cricket off late but are still going to be part of this year’s ODI World Cup in India. The fact that they have made their way into the World Cup through the play-off route shows their struggles in the past decade.
They had a decent 2019 World Cup where they were able to win three out of the nine games where two were washed out due to rain. The squad has changed massively since the past four years as some players are out of the scheme of things whilst some senior players have retired. So let’s take a look at three forgotten Sri Lanka players who featured in the 2019 ODI World Cup.
1) Angelo Matthews
After the veteran was left off the 15-man team that will go to Zimbabwe for the World Cup Qualifier in June and July, Sri Lanka’s ODI romance with Angelo Mathews appears to have been short-lived. He has been a long term servant of the Sri Lankan cricket team and has been a key part of the team for the last three World Cups.
Matthews was one of the few players who was a constant in the Sri Lankan team and has seen the decline with his own eyes. The door might be shut for his return to international cricket and he might be a big miss for Sri Lanka this year in India
2) Avishka Fernando
Avishka Fernando has never been a constant force in the Sri Lankan batting line-up ever since he made his debut in international cricket. He has been in and out of the squad more often than not. He was there with the team during the India tour but once again failed to leave a mark against the World Cup hosts.
After some dismal performances he was eventually dropped for the ODI World Cup qualifiers held in June and July. His 2019 World Cup was a mediocre one as he played only four games in which he was able to notch up one century against the West Indies.
3) Jeffrey Vandersay
Jeffrey Vandersay was not much of use to the Sri Lankan team as he played only a single game at the marquee event and was able to pick only one wicket and giving away 50 runs in his spell during that game.
He was also part of the India tour which was held in January earlier this year. But he is another one of the players that the team did not consider for the qualifiers and with the likes of Wanindu Hasaranga shining for the team, the chances that he will make the World Cup side look very slim.