Former Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews has strongly criticised reports that England may reduce future Test tours of Sri Lanka to a single match, warning that such a move risks undermining the fairness and integrity of the World Test Championship structure.

According to reports, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is reviewing its Future Tours Programme, with discussions suggesting that overseas red-ball series against nations such as Sri Lanka and Bangladesh could be trimmed to just one Test, alongside white-ball fixtures. The shift is being linked to scheduling pressures and a push to prioritise longer home series against top-tier opposition.

We should not play one off test with anyone! If any country doesn’t want to play more than one so be it! There’s nothing called bigger nations and test status is equal to all test playing nations .You can’t have 1 team playing 20 games and another playing 10 games in the same…

— Angelo Mathews (@Angelo69Mathews) May 9, 2026

However, Mathews has pushed back firmly against the idea, arguing that Test cricket must not be reshaped around commercial convenience or unequal participation between nations.
“We should not play one off test with anyone! If any country doesn’t want to play more than one so be it!” Mathews said, expressing clear frustration at the proposal.

He further stressed that all Test nations must be treated equally within the format, warning against creating an imbalance in match opportunities across the championship cycle.
“There’s nothing called bigger nations and test status is equal to all test playing nations,” he said.

Mathews also questioned the logic of restructuring series length while maintaining a unified global competition, pointing out the contradiction in workload and fairness.
“You can’t have 1 team playing 20 games and another playing 10 games in the same championship cycle!” he added.

His strongest criticism came when addressing the reasoning behind the proposed changes, which have been partly linked to revenue generation and broadcast appeal.

“Generating revenue and keeping test cricket alive is two different things and you should not mix up the two!” Mathews said, drawing a clear line between financial priorities and the preservation of the longest format.

The reported ECB discussions come amid wider debates within the International Cricket Council (ICC) over potential reforms to the World Test Championship, including proposals to expand participation and possibly allow single-Test series to contribute to standings for the first time.

The ICC is expected to review the proposals in upcoming meetings, with the future structure of Test cricket under increasing scrutiny as scheduling demands continue to grow across formats.

Sri Lanka’s emerging tennis players are set to represent the country at the 2026 Billie Jean King Cup Juniors – Asia/Oceania under-16 Final Qualifying tournament, which will be held in Shymkent, Kazakhstan from May 11 to 15, 2026.

The prestigious junior competition will bring together leading teams from across the region, including Australia, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Thailand, Singapore, and Sri Lanka, among others, all competing for regional supremacy and qualification progress.

Sri Lanka will be led by top-ranked junior player Annaya Norbet of Holy Family Convent Bambalapitiya, who will take the position of number one player in the squad. She will be joined by Akeesha Silva of Newstead College, Negombo, selected as the second player, while Bovindee Jithsara from Bishop’s College completes the main trio.

Sandithi Usgoda Arachchi of Musaeus College has been named as the standby player, providing additional support to the team if required during the competition.

The squad will be coached by Anupa Maththamagoda, an experienced figure tasked with guiding the young team through the demanding international event.

Sri Lanka Cricket has revised the player eligibility criteria for the upcoming Lanka Premier League Season 6, removing a controversial requirement linked to social media popularity after widespread criticism from fans and members of the cricket community.

The latest edition of the LPL Season 6 Player Registration and Draft Guide, released as Version 1.5 on May 9, no longer contains any minimum follower count requirements for players registering under the Icon, Star, or Gold categories.

The change comes just a day after Version 1.4 of the guide drew backlash for introducing social media-based benchmarks alongside cricketing qualifications. Under the earlier rules, players in the Icon and Star categories were expected to maintain more than 250,000 social media followers, while Gold category players were required to have at least 150,000 followers.

The previous guidelines described top-tier players as individuals with strong commercial value and a significant online audience, prompting criticism that the league was prioritizing digital influence over cricketing merit.

Following the backlash, Sri Lanka Cricket removed all references to follower counts in the revised document while keeping the existing cricket-related qualifications intact. Players will still be assessed based on factors such as international T20 experience, franchise league participation, and recent competitive appearances.

The original social media clause triggered debate across online platforms, with many questioning the contradiction between the new LPL criteria and Sri Lanka Cricket’s past messaging encouraging national players to limit distractions from social media and focus on performance.

Critics also argued that a player’s standing in the tournament should be determined by achievements on the field rather than online popularity.

Although the revised regulations eliminate follower-based eligibility requirements, the LPL framework continues to place considerable importance on marketing and fan engagement. Players are still expected to participate in promotional campaigns, fan interaction events, media activities, and scheduled social media promotions throughout the tournament.