The Sri Lanka women cricketers will set off to West Indies on April 22 to engage in eight games in total, with a new squad that blends experience and youth. With the Women’s Twenty20 World Championship scheduled for August in Galle in Sri Lanka, the selectors have introduced young blood to the squad of 14 players. Among the notable newcomers to make it to the side are young Chandima Gunaratne, Inoka Ranaweera and allrounder Madhuri Samudrika while the team is led by wicketkeeper/batter Dilani Manodara.
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| Discussing strategy prior to the tour |
“It’s a relatively young side. The challenge will be enormous especially against the West Indies Women who have propelled themselves to the peak. On the other hand it will be a very good opportunity for Sri Lanka with the Women’s T20 World Championship coming ahead,” national women’s coach Harsha de Silva told the Sunday Times.
Sri Lanka will play three One Day Internationals (ODI) and five Twenty20 games during their tour against the West Indies women who won the ICC Women’s T20 Challenge in October 2011.
In their last series outing the West Indies women beat Pakistan women by 3-1 on home soil. The last time Sri Lanka toured West Indies was in April 2010 when the hosts swept the three-match T20 series in Cayon. From the eight matches, all three ODIs will be played in Barbados where two of the Twenty20 games will also be hosted. The remaining T20 games will be played in Trinidad.
“Two of the T20 games will be played under lights, which will be a first time experience for Sri Lanka women cricketers. West Indies are a challenging side and day by day they have improved a lot. We are looking forward for a good tour”.
However the Sri Lankan lasses were impressive at the ICC Women’s T20 Challenge in South Africa as they qualified to play in the final against victors West Indies. Sri Lanka’s last T20 game which was played in Colombo against the Netherlands women was washed out during a Quadrangular Series where Ireland and victors Pakistan were involved. Since then Sri Lanka has not played an international T20 game for the past 12 months. As at present West Indies women are ranked at fifth while Sri Lanka is ranked at seventh.
“Our focus is to win all games and give maximum exposure to all members of the squad as we will not get another opportunity until the T20 World Championship in August. We will try out the newcomers and observe their progress. ,” de Silva added.
Sri Lanka squad: Dilani Manodara (Captain/wk), Sadamali Dolawatta, Chamani Atapattu, Inoka Galagedara, Yasoda Mendis, Shashikala Siriwardene, Deepika Rasangika, Prasadani Weerakkody, Chamani Seneviratne, Chandima Gunaratne, Sripali Weerakkody, Dhashani Dharmasiri, Maduri Samudika, Inoka Ranaweera.
Stand by: Oshadi Ranasinghe, Lasanthi Madushani, Niluka Karunaratne, Udeshika Prabodhani |
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