Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews is happy to play the team's last league match against New Zealand in Mumbai, saying conditions would be similar to those back home. "It's not a big deal," said the all-rounder. "The conditions are similar to Sri Lanka and the wickets are also slow. We have also played in India often."
Published: Mar 15, 2011, 05:52 PM (IST)
Edited: Mar 15, 2011, 05:52 PM (IST)
New Zealand game would be a big challenge: Matthews
Mumbai: Mar 15, 2011
Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews is happy to play the team’s last league match against New Zealand in Mumbai, saying conditions would be similar to those back home. “It’s not a big deal,” said the all-rounder. “The conditions are similar to Sri Lanka and the wickets are also slow. We have also played in India often.”
Tournament co-hosts Sri Lanka were scheduled to play all but one of their Group A matches at home, prompting captain Kumar Sangakkara to slam the format.
“We were surprised when we learnt that we will have to travel to Mumbai to play that game against New Zealand. I thought hosts play at home,” Sangakkara said.
With both teams having already made it to the quarter-finals, the battle on Friday will boil down to where they finish in the group, which in turn will decide their knockout opponents. “New Zealand have been playing good cricket and we have also been playing well. It would be a good challenge,” said the Sri Lankan who has 741 runs and 31 wickets from 40 one-day internationals.
