Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Mathews and Indian seamer Ashish Nehra were both ruled out of the World Cup final yesterday, sparking two selection headaches on the eve of the title showdown.
The International Cricket Council said Mathews has been replaced in the Sri Lankan squad by off-spinner Suraj Randiv who was flown in on Thursday as cover, along with veteran seamer Chaminda Vaas.
Randiv, 26, who made his one-day debut against India in 2009, has taken 22 wickets in one-day internationals. He last played when Sri Lanka toured Australia last year.
Mathews, 23, suffered a right-side strain while fielding during Tuesday’s semi-final win against New Zealand. The lively medium-pacer is also a hard-hitting lower-order batsman capable of scoring quick runs.
Randiv’s presence gives Sri Lanka another slow bowling option should star off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, struggling with hamstring and knee injuries, be unavailable for selection.
“Angelo is one of our very important players,” Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara said yesterday before Mathews was ruled out. “But if he’s not there he’s not there. The player who replaces him will consider it a big opportunity to do well for his country on this magnificent occasion.”
Earlier yesterday, India’s left-arm seamer Ashish was also ruled out of today’s Wankhede Stadium showpiece due to a fractured finger, Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said.
Nehra sustained the injury during Wednesday’s semi-final against Pakistan where, selected surprisingly ahead of spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, he claimed 2-33 in India’s 29-run victory.
“Ashish is most certainly out of the final because he has multiple fractures on a finger in the right hand,” Dhoni said.
The skipper said no decision had been made whether Nehra will be replaced in the team by an additional seamer in Shanthakumaran Sreesanth or a second spinner in Ashwin.
“The Mumbai wicket usually has a bit of bounce and a third seamer gives me the option to maneuver the attack, but if we feel there could be turn in the wicket as the game progresses, Ashwin will come into the picture. It helps to have such good options,” Dhoni said.
The captain, however, insisted that left-hand batsman Gautam Gambhir was fit to play after recovering from a minor hamstring strain he developed while fielding against Pakistan.
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