Former Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews has expressed shock over the decision to leave opening batter Lahiru Udara out of the national Test squad, warning that such decisions could damage players’ confidence.In a social media post, Mathews questioned the selection process, pointing out that Udara had been dropped despite scoring a century against the West Indies before struggling in just two subsequent Test appearances.
“We always Talk about building confidence in players but shocked to see Lahiru Udaraa being left out from the test squad after scoring 188 in West Indies and failing in just 2 test matches!” Mathews wrote.“This will kill his confidence and create doubts in other batters too,” he added.Udara’s exclusion has raised questions over Sri Lanka’s opening batting options, particularly with Pathum Nissanka facing fitness concerns.The decision also comes at a time when Sri Lanka are looking to strengthen their batting lineup ahead of the upcoming Test series.With Udara overlooked, Sri Lanka could be forced to consider alternative opening combinations, including promoting another batter to the top of the order.Mathews’ comments highlight concerns over how selection decisions could affect the confidence of emerging players, particularly those who have recently delivered strong performances at international level.Udara has played five Tests, scoring 313 runs at an average of 34.77, including a career-best 188 against the West Indies.
His last two Test appearances came against India, where he struggled to reproduce that form.The selectors have yet to publicly explain Udara’s omission
