Friday Sep 20, 2024
Friday Sep 20, 2024
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| Sri Lanka women’s cricket head coach Rumesh Ratnayake |
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| Chamari Athapaththu |
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
Sri Lanka women’s cricket captain Chamari Athapaththu and head coach Rumesh Ratnayake were over the moon after the team pulled off an historic maiden series win by 2-1 over England in the three-match WT20I series at Derby on Wednesday.
“Our turning point is that we have a good head coach and supporting staff especially batting coach, bowling coach and fielding coach and everyone. It’s a new group and we always talk about positive things in our dressing room. We never talk about negatives. We executed the right plans at the right time that’s why we won,” said Athapaththu after Sri Lanka had beaten England in the third and final WT20I by seven wickets.
The supporting staff comprises Ratnayake, Malinda Warnapura (batting coach), Tharindu Perera (assistant coach and bowling coach), Carmen Mapatuna (fielding coach), trainer, physio and masseuse.
After getting beaten in the rain-ruined first WT20I, Sri Lanka bounced back to win the next two matches back-to-back and win the series. Athapaththu said, “I have to mention my bowling unit who has done a really good job today and in the entire series. In the last couple of months our bowlers have been doing really well. Also the batters have been really good, that’s why we won.”
About her own personal contribution to the team (114 runs and 5 wickets) and Player of the Series: “I am happy about my performance and my team’s performance. I worked hard in the nets. In the last two series against Bangladesh and against New Zealand we played really good cricket. We continued this performance in this series as well. We won and it is really good for us. I hope we can continue this form in the ODI series as well.”
Athapaththu was thankful to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) who have been a pillar of strength to them. “SLC helps a lot for the girls, myself and the support staff. They increased our payments and gave contracts. We have 16 players under contract with SLC which is really good. We have a good domestic structure as well. I think we can build a good team in the future.”
“Fantastic. Unbelievable,” was how head coach Rumesh Ratnayake described the victory.
“I am delighted by the win but I still know there are areas which I can and they can work on. One of those at the moment it seems like is Chamari. Little by little we see the others coming through and taking ownership doing things as well.”
The change in attitude of the players comes from the environment created by Ratnayake within the team.
“I have created an environment which is free, fearless and a learning environment which has to be conducive to constructive criticism. No negatives spoken. I am delighted to see the freedom when they go out to bat, bowl and field. They are doing it to the fullest.”
Ratnayake put down England’s defeat down to not knowing what the Lankan spinners could do.
“The wickets weren’t spinning, it was spinners bowling the other way. It was batting wickets and they were playing spin. That’s why an extra spinner played in the third game. It was a green track but we played an extra spinner. England didn’t know exactly what our spinners could do. Not only spin our fast bowler Udeshika Prabodhani who is 38 years old, just kept pegging on a right line and length. Her pace was 100-105 kph. So it wasn’t just spin, it was smart bowling.”
England were bowled out twice in the last two TW20Is for totals of 104 and 116.
Asked what this win would mean to Sri Lanka women’s cricket, Ratnayake replied, “It’s going to be huge. In today’s context where social media is very prevalent and in use, it’s going to be huge. My ambition for them as well as a challenge is to take it around the country so that we may have the next Chamaris, the best of bowlers and batters. It’s not far, to take them to another level. That’s my prerogative.”
