Mathews makes himself available for Sri Lanka selection

Colombo, Oct 12 (IANS) Former captain Angelo Mathews has made himself available for selection in future Sri Lanka teams, the country's board confirmed on TuesdayThe 34-year-old communicated his intention to Sri Lanka Cricket, ending the deadlock that began when the board revealed a new central contract structure in July this year."With immediate effect, Mathews will join the squads training at the High-Performance Center, focusing on future international tours," Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement. Mathews had made himself unavailable for selection earlier this year, saying he was disappointed by the treatment he and other seniors had received during a months-long contract standoff. Notably, Sri Lanka's players had refused to sign contracts for their 2021-22 season over an alleged lack of transparency in the grading system as well as compensation that was considered inadequate. However, after a dialogue with the board, 18 players inked a deal till the end of 2021 with only Mathews remaining steadfast with his decision. The all-rounder was subsequently not considered for selection for the white-ball series against India and the series thereafter including the forthcoming T20 World Cup.Mathews, a veteran of 386 internationals, last represented Sri Lanka in April this year in the two-Test series at home against Bangladesh.
--IANSavn/bsk

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