Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews walks back after his team lost the five-match series, Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe, 5th ODI, Hambantota, July 10, 2017/AFP

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan cricket captain Angelo Mathews has stepped down amid intense criticism over his side´s series defeat to bottom-ranked Zimbabwe on home soil, an official said Wednesday.

Mathews met with chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya to discuss his future with the team before a one-off Test against Zimbabwe beginning Friday, said an official with Sri Lanka´s cricket board.

"He has quit the captaincy from all three forms of the game," the official said on condition on anonymity, referring to Test, one-day international and twenty20 formats of cricket.

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An official announcement of Mathews´ resignation was expected later Wednesday, the official added.

Mathews took the brunt of the criticism levelled at Sri Lanka´s cricketers in the aftermath of their 3-2 series loss at home to minnows Zimbabwe on Monday.

Mathews described the shock defeat as a low point in his career and a "hard pill to swallow".

It compounded woes for the struggling side, which entered the series without a coach after Graham Ford´s sudden exit following their poor showing in the Champions Trophy last month.

Sri Lanka´s sports minister delivered the squad an ultimatum after that performance, ordering players get in shape or face the boot after declaring them unfit to compete on the world stage.