Confident Lankan lasses off to Ireland
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Friday named a squad of 14 members and four additional players as stand-ins for the ICC Twenty20 Women’s World Cup Qualifiers which will be in Ireland during late July. The Sri Lanka women’s cricket team was ranked fifth in the ICC Global ODI standings after their overwhelming performances at the concluded ICC Women’s World Cup held in India. They will travel to Ireland as a confident unit with hopes of winning the only slot available through the competition for the ICC Twenty20 World Cup which will be held in Bangladesh in 2014.
Sri Lanka women crickets in casual mood. - Pic by Amila Gamage
Allrounder Sashikala Siriwardena will continue her role as the captain of the Sri Lanka women’s side while pinch-hitting allrounder Eshani Lokusooriya has elevated as her deputy. Coincidentally this will be the final tour of national women’s cricket coach Harsha de Silva, who announced his stepping down soon after the tour.
“My aim is to see I put all my efforts to help the women’s team reach the ICC Women’s Twenty20 World Championship to be held in Bangladesh, and end my stint in a high note. Only one team will get the opportunity to qualify for the main event and that will be the winning team. We are the highest ranked team among the competing sides in this tournament and it itself is a confidence booster. Also the girls are well geared up for it,” de Silva said.
Sri Lanka has virtually retained the same squad that played in the ICC Women’s World Cup. They are drafted along with hosts Ireland, Japan and Canada in Group ‘B’ while Netherlands, Zimbabwe, Thailand and Pakistan will compete from Group ‘A’. Prior to the qualifiers Sri Lanka will travel to England to play three warm-up games against a second string England women’s team. The ICC Twenty20 Women’s World Cup Qualifiers will be held in Dublin, Ireland from July 16 to August 3.
Sri Lanka women’s squad for T20 WC Qualifiers: Shashikala Siriwardena (Capt), Eshani Lokusooriya (VC), Chamari Athapattu, Yasoda Mendis, Chamani Seneviratne, Sripali Weerakkody, Dilani Manodara, Deepika Rasangika, Nipuni Hansika, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Sandamali Dolawatta, Udeshika Prabodani, Nilakshi de Silva, Chandima Gunaratne.
Stand bys: Madhuri Samuddika, N.J. Ida, Rebecca Vandort, Sugandika Dassanayake
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