Mathews ruled out of Bangladesh tour

Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews has been ruled out of the remainder of the Bangladesh series due to a hamstring injury.

New Delhi: Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews has been ruled out of the remainder of the Bangladesh series due to a hamstring injury.

The 30-year-old sustained hamstring during the ODI Tri-nation ODI series which Sri Lanka won last month. He will now miss the final test match against Bangladesh and two-match T20 series.

Mathews, 30, was recently named as Sri Lanka's captain in the shorter format until the 2019 World Cup, faces race against time to be fit for Tri-nation T20 series against India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh

The tri-series will be played at Colombo's R Premadasa Stadium from March 8.

"We don't want to risk Angelo for just two games (in Bangladesh). Our plan is now to bring him for next month's tri-nation Nidhas Trophy at home," Sri Lanka chief selector Graeme Labrooy was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz website.

Thisara Perera is likely to stand in as captain for the two T20 games in Bangladesh slated for February 15 and 18.

Mathews' absence from the deciding Test starting Thursday is unlikely to trouble Sri Lankan plans given their dominant batting performance in the drawn first game in Chittagong.

Sri Lanka's top-order fired in their only innings, with three of their batsmen hitting centuries including a fine 196 by Kusal Mendis to post a mammoth 713-9 declared.

Bangladesh have already indicated a change in strategy for the deciding game after adding strength to their batting by bringing in Sabbir Rahman.

Veteran left-arm spinner Abdur Razzaq is also expected to make the starting XI in Dhaka.