World Cup 2019: Flop XI after the first half of the tournament

#2 Middle Order: Lahiru Thirimanne & Angelo Mathews

Lahiru Thirimanne

Thirimanne has been a key player for Sri Lanka at the top of the order. Even though he was inconsistent in his early days, he improved his technique to establish himself in the team. The experience of more than 100 ODIs and 3000 runs plays a massive role in the team’s performance, but that is not the case in this World Cup. In the three games that he has played, he has scores of 4, 25 and 16 which has proved to be a disaster for the team. If he can stay at the crease for a little more time, Sri Lanka can challenge even the best teams.

Angelo Mathews has been a reliable batting all-rounder for Sri Lanka in the last decade. He has scored more than 5000 runs and taken more than 100 wickets in the 50 over format. On the contrary, his World Cup appearances haven’t been impressive. In three World Cups he has played in, he has managed only one half-century in 18 matches. With great players Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara retiring from the game, it was his responsibility to step up for the team this time. But he failed to deliver with the bat as well as with the ball in the three matches he played. In order to get back to winning ways, Mathews has to play well.