Published: May 31, 2017, 09:57 AM (IST)
Edited: May 31, 2017, 09:57 AM (IST)
Sri Lanka Women’s squad for the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup is one of the most experienced teams to leave the island nation for a major event, with 9 out of 15 players having played in the 2013 edition of the tournament. Shashikala Siriwardene has returned to the squad after an injury in the 2016 World T20 in India. Despite the former captain’s inclusion in the squad, left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera has been retained as captain after a successful campaign in the World Cup Qualifiers in Colombo earlier this year. Ama Kanchana, Chandima Gunaratne and Oshadi Ranasinghe have also been included in the squad despite missing the Qualifiers.
Chamari Atapattu, the left-hand opening batter, will be Sri Lanka’s mainstay with the bat. Her aggressive approach at the top of the order and her ability to tackle the fast bowlers mean that she is a vital cog in the batting wheel. Along with Siriwardene, Dilani Manodara, Prasadani Weerakkody and Nipuni Hansika, who performed admirably in the Qualifiers, Atapattu will be expected to score a bulk of the runs.
While spin is generally Sri Lanka’s strength, they will go into the World Cup with four genuine pace options this time — in Eshani Lokusuriyage, Udeshika Prabodhani, Sripali Weerakkody and Chamari Polgampola, with Kanchana, the all-rounder, providing an additional option. Ranaweera will lead the spin quartet of off-spinners Siriwardene and Ranasinghe and left-arm spinner Gunaratne. Atapattu can also chip in with a few overs of her handy off-spin.
Previous World Cups
Sri Lanka has played in 5 of the 10 World Cups so far — 1997, 2000, 2005, 2009 and 2013 — during which period they have managed only 7 wins in 28 matches. Their best performance came in the previous edition when they reached the Super Sixes.
Sri Lanka, almost an unknown quantity in 2013, took the world by storm when they shocked England and India in the first round of the tournament. While the victory over England was a nail-biting contest, the win against India — by 138 runs — was thumping to say the least. Atapattu, Lokusuriyage and Siriwardene played vital roles in both those triumphs.
Recent form
Sri Lanka finished third in the World Cup Qualifiers in February, beating Bangladesh in the final round of the Super Sixes matches to secure their place in the main event. Over the course of the two-week competition, Sri Lanka played 5 ODIs, beating Bangladesh, Pakistan and Ireland, and losing to South Africa and India.
Atapattu (155 runs) and Hansika (134) struck form with the bat, while Prabodhini (6 wickets) and Ranaweera (5) led Sri Lanka’s charge with the ball.
Strengths
Like most subcontinent teams, Sri Lanka’s strength is their spin contingent. The quartet of Ranaweera, Siriwardene, Ranasinghe and Gunaratne has taken a combined tally of 160 wickets. They have the ability to both dry up the runs and pick up wickets.
Without a genuine fast bowler, Sri Lanka will rely heavily on their spinners throughout the World Cup. While left-arm seamer Prabodhini the right-armer Sripali Weerakkody — both genuine swing bowlers — can be a handful in English conditions, their pace is unlikely to strike fear in a batter’s heart.
Key players
In 2013, it was Eshani Lokusuriyage’s quickfire fifties against England and India that propelled Sri Lanka to victory. The medium-pace-bowling all-rounder played a crucial role with both bat and ball in Sri Lanka’s campaign in India.
Going into her fourth World Cup, Lokusuriyage is still one of Sri Lanka’s most influential players. She provides power to a rather sedate middle order, and her medium-pacers, although not as lethal as they once were, can be very effective in English conditions. She has a knack of picking up wickets, and her ability to clear the boundary almost at will, makes her one of the most feared batters in Sri Lanka’s line-up.
Although she is making a comeback to the international circuit after more than a year away, Shashikala Siriwardene will play a vital role in her team’s campaign. The former captain is Sri Lanka’s highest wicket taker in ODIs with 106 scalps, and their second highest run-getter as well with 1,613 runs under her belt. She brings with her not only a great deal of skill and experience, but also a calm head under pressure.
One to watch
Chamari Atapattu is Sri Lanka’s highest run-scorer in ODIs with 1,675 runs in 59 matches. She was the first Sri Lankan woman to have scored an ODI century and now has 2 to her name along with 11 fifties. Atapattu, only 27, has been around the circuit for seven years now and has fashioned herself into one of the top batters in the world. She has a free-flowing style and likes to take on the bowlers. She tends to score most of her runs on front foot and enjoys playing fast bowlers, and also has the ability to go big against the spinners as well.
Having led Sri Lanka on a fair few occasions, Atapattu is no stranger to responsibility. If Sri Lanka are to fare well in the World Cup, much will depend on her performances with bat, ball and in the field. She is a match-winner on her day, and has the ability to inspire her team to punch above their weight.
Expectations
After showing so much promise in the 2013 World Cup and in early parts of 2014, Sri Lanka’s performances have drastically dropped. They finished at the bottom of the table in the inaugural ICC Women’s Championship and have become easy fodder for the more professional teams at the top of the ladder.
Sri Lanka, currently ranked No. 8 in the ICC Women’s ODI team rankings, are not expected to go beyond the first round of the tournament. A finish in the top 6 would be considered an achievement.
Squad: Inoka Ranwaweera (c), Chandima Gunaratne, Nipuni Hansika, Chamari Atapattu, Ama Kanchana, Eshani Lokusuriyage, Chamari Polgampola, Harshitha Madavi, Hasini Perera, Udeshika Prabodhani, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Shashikala Siriwardene, Dilani Manodara, Prasadani Weerakkody, Sripali Weerakkody.
Sri Lanka’s fixtures:
June 24: vs New Zealand, Bristol
June 29: vs Australia, Bristol
July 2: vs England, Taunton
July 5: vs India, Derby
July 9: vs West Indies, Derby
July 12: vs South Africa, Taunton
July 15: vs Pakistan, Leicester
