LNP – Angelo Mathews ‘absolutely shocked’ by Sri Lanka’s 2025 cricket schedule

• Having last featured in Sri Lanka’s tour to South Africa last December, Mathews on Monday said he was shocked that the team will be playing only four Tests this year, two of which will be completed before mid-February against Australia at home.

Veteran Sri Lanka all-rounder Angelo Mathews is disappointed at the number of Test matches his side will play in the 2025 calendar year.

Having last featured in Sri Lanka’s tour to South Africa last December, Mathews on Monday said he was shocked that the team will be playing only four Tests this year, two of which will be completed before mid-February against Australia at home.

Besides the Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup T20s, Sri Lanka are slated to play 13 ODIs and 12 T20Is by November 2025 before resuming action in January 2026. The scheduled Future Tours Program will mean that Sri Lanka’s representation in whites this year will be wrapped up by June when they host Bangladesh in two Tests in the new 2025-27 ICC World Test Championship cycle.

Sri Lanka play the least Tests in the next cycle, with only eight more matches scheduled in 2026 and 2027.

Tagging the International Cricket Council in his post on X, Mathews wrote: “Absolutely shocking to hear that Sri Lanka is only playing 4 test matches this entire year including the Aus Tests this month.”