Mathews Pledges 'No Mercy' To Players Found Guilty Of Alleged Misconduct

Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews Wednesday promised “no mercy” for any team mates found guilty of misconduct during a disastrous tour of New Zealand after the sports minister raised allegations of drunken behaviour and squabbling.

Addressing a post-tournament press conference in Colombo, Mathews said an official probe had begun into the allegations that players attended parties until 3 or 4am, and of tension within the team and with interim coach Jerome Jayaratne.

“I can't deny or accept that these things happened. “But, I can promise that there will be no mercy for any member found guilty of misconduct.” he said.

Mathews also said the team could have done better and admitted the New Zealand tour was “demoralising”.

Sri Lankan spectators heckled the national team as it lost the final T20 match while social media sites showed footage of player Tillakaratne Dilshan engaging in an angry exchange with a spectator who asked him to retire.

“As players, we don't play to lose and you get hurt when spectators say things like this,” Mathews said. “Fans are also hurt when we lose and you have to look at it from both ways.”

Sri Lanka went to New Zealand as defending champions of the shortest form of the game, but slipped to third position this month behind the West Indies and Australia after a resounding defeat in the T20 matches.

Sri Lanka also lost the Tests 0-2 and the one-day series 1-3 to the hosts.

(With inputs from AFP)