File photo of Angelo Mathews.
In a bizarre incident, Sri Lanka's former captain Angelo Mathews is now asked to step in as team's stand-in captain for the three-match T20 series in West Indies after Dasun Shanaka was left stranded due to a visa issue, informed the Sri Lankan cricket board.
Shanaka, who was named Sri Lanka's T20 captain last week, was not allowed to board the flight with his teammates on Monday over his failure to arrange a new transit visa to the USA.
"Mathews was appointed by the national selectors as Dasun Shanaka, who was appointed as the T20 captain for the tour of West Indies, is yet to join the team owing to a delay in obtaining a U.S. transit visa," the Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement.
"Shanaka confronted this issue pursuant to the loss of his previous passport, which had a valid visa for the USA stamped on it.
"He is expected to join the team once the issue is resolved."
The Islanders will face off with the Windies in a three-match T20 series, followed by three ODIs and two Tests behind closed doors in Antigua.
