Sri Lanka's Mathews out of Aussie T20s

Sri Lanka will be without captain Angelo Mathews for this month's Twenty20 international series in Australia.

Mathews was ruled out after sustaining a hamstring injury during their 2-1 T20 series win in South Africa last month.

Allrounder Mathews, who averages 29 with the bat in international T20s, hit an unbeaten half-century in the tourists' victory over the Proteas in their second T20 on January 22.

But he pulled up lame after the match and came home from the tour early.

Sri Lanka arrive in Canberra next Monday for a one-day tour match against an Australian Prime Minister's XI two days later.

The first of three T20s against Australia will be played in Melbourne on February 17.