The impact Chamari Atapattu has had on Sri Lanka women’s cricket is well documented. She has featured in every Women’s World Cup since the inaugural edition in 2009 and from the tournament’s infancy to the current edition in England, has remained the heartbeat of the side. Few have witnessed the transformation of the women’s game as closely as the Sri Lankan captain, and she marvels at how far it has come.
“I remember playing the first tournament here in England way back in 2009 and it was so different then. We didn’t have a sponsor and most games were not televised. Not many people were interested in women’s cricket at that point, but it has all changed now. We have sponsors lining up, all games are televised and we get requests for tickets from friends,” Atapattu told the media ahead of Sri Lanka’s opening game in Birmingham.
“Those days, women’s teams struggled to post totals beyond 100, but today it has all changed. You see a lot of power-hitting and many teams posting big scores. It’s all good to see,” she added.
There are six other players in the tournament, alongside Atapattu, who are featuring in their ninth Women’s World Cup having played every edition. All six have experienced at least one semi-final appearance. The Sri Lankan skipper is the only one yet to savour that privilege.
“It will be superb if we can make it to the semis. We have a lot of young players coming through with the ‘X-factor’. We have worked hard on certain areas like catching and power-hitting and hopefully we will be able to make an impact this time around,” Atapattu remarked.
Sri Lanka’s preparation for the tournament has been meticulous. The team spent two weeks in Kandy in a residential camp where game scenarios were rehearsed and practice matches arranged. Since arriving in the UK, they have recorded convincing wins in warm-up games against Pakistan and the Netherlands.
“It has been really good preparation and we feel confident heading into the opening game. We know this game against England is key. If we can beat either England or New Zealand, we have a good chance of making it to the semis.”
England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt paid tribute to Atapattu’s longevity, hailing her as a wonderful ambassador for the game and admitting that she remains the player opposition teams fear most.
“She has been around for quite a while. She has been a superb competitor and an ambassador for the game. She has given us tough times over the years, winning games single-handedly. Obviously, at every team meeting we spend quite a lot of time discussing ways to get her out,” Sciver-Brunt said.
