Skipper Chamari Athapaththu’s outstanding performance of 102 off 63 balls helped Sri Lanka win the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier against Scotland in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. As a result, Sri Lanka will now slot into Group A alongside Australia, India, New Zealand, and Pakistan, while Scotland will be part of Group B alongside South Africa, England, West Indies, and Bangladesh at the World Cup scheduled for October.
Chamari Athapaththu celebrating her second T20 century.
During an exclusive interview with the Daily News, Skipper Chamari Athapaththu expressed her satisfaction with the team’s performance and execution of her plans during the tournament. She further stated that the team’s ultimate goal is to win the next T-20 World Cup and that the first step towards achieving this is to reach the semi-finals. The team is highly motivated, and the players are determined to go beyond the semi-final stage. Skipper Chamari Athapaththu commended her team, stating that they played exceptionally well both on and off the field. Their duties were executed flawlessly, and the team has a good balance of young and experienced players. In addition, she praised the supporting staff, headed by Rumesh Ratnayake, for their superb job in contributing to the team’s success.
“Recently, we won the South Africa series, and winning the qualifying tournament has given our team a big boost for the upcoming T-20 World Cup. We are aware that we have the Asia Cup series in Sri Lanka and West Indies series here, and we will also participate in the Ireland cricket series before the T-20 World Cup. Our intention is clear: to get more exposure and prepare well for the T-20 World Cup,” added Chamari.
“It was a huge boost for me to become the ICC best women’s cricketer for the second time within six months. Winning this highest achievement gave me immense satisfaction. It was also an honour for me to be named the captain of the world team and to win three ICC awards. These are all my personal goals, and I am proud to have set new records in women’s cricket. However, my ultimate goal is to win the world cup, and all these milestones are unforgettable,” said Chamari.
“We were aware that the T-20 qualifying tournament was crucial, and we had to perform well in this short format. We had to avoid making mistakes, and fortunately, all our plans worked out in our favor,” she added.
“I believe that it was not just my personal achievements that contributed to our success. Our team had an excellent performance altogether. When I failed to score runs, I contributed with my bowling and took wickets. Other players like Vishmi Gunaratne, Hasini Perera, Nilakshika Silva, and Harshitha Samarawickrama stepped up and made significant contributions with their runs. This is a very positive sign for us,” she said.
“There is a healthy competition among the players to secure a spot in the Sri Lankan side. Sometimes, experienced players had to sit on the bench, and this is a good sign of the depth in our team. All the players understand this situation and try to perform their best. This is the success story of our team. Our players’ commitment and team spirit are very high, and we aim to continue this momentum,” she added.
“We have some new players in the team, and they need to get more exposure to international cricket. Although they did not get to play all the matches, whenever they got a chance, they performed well and gained valuable experience. With this level of performance, we can put up a good fight at the forthcoming T-20 World Cup. We will be facing top teams like Australia and New Zealand, but playing in Bangladesh will be an added advantage for us. Our spinners are capable of doing a lot of work, and we need to prepare well during the next three months,” said Chamari.
Dhammika Ratnaweera