The Sri Lankan Sports Minister Harin Fernando makes a special request for Chamari Athapaththu.
The Sri Lankan women’s team led by skipper Chamari Athapaththu were recently a part of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifiers in Abu Dhabi. She led Sri Lanka to a spot in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, later this year.
She was the leading run-scorer of the tournament with 226 runs to her name at a strike rate of 136.14 and an impressive average of 45.20 in six innings. Her tally of runs included one half-century and one century. Her best performance with the bat came on 7th May 2024 in the final against Scotland when she scored 102 runs at a sensational strike rate of 161.90. She was awarded the Player of the Match for her match-winning performance.
She also smashed the 2nd fastest hundred by an Asian (78 balls) in the Women’s ODIs when she scored an unbeaten 195 at an impressive strike rate of 140.28 in a record-breaking run chase (Target: 302) in the 3rd ODI against South Africa. She surpassed her previous best (79 balls) against New Zealand in 2023. She also finds herself at the top of the list for a 60-ball hundred against the same opponent in 2023.
She has been in her form of her life, especially with the bat in recent times. She also notched up the highest individual score (195*) in the Women’s ODIs in the 3rd ODI against South Africa. It is also only the 2nd highest individual score in a successful run chase after Glenn Maxwell’s 201* against Afghanistan in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023. Considering her recent form with the bat, people have heaped praise on the Sri Lankan skipper, going to the extent of calling for her inclusion in the Sri Lankan senior men’s team for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup that is jointly hosted by the USA and the West Indies.
Recently, she hinted at her retirement plans ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers in Abu Dhabi. So, on public demand, considering the amount of love and respect received from the audience for the Sri Lankan women’s team skipper, the Sri Lankan sports minister Harin Fernando has made a special request for Chamari Athapaththu to a former Sri Lankan legend Sanath Jayasuriya, who is also appointed as a full-time cricket consultant for Sri Lanka. He attempted to enquire about the Sri Lankan women’s team skipper Chamari Athapaththu’s inclusion in the senior men’s team for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Apart from that, he also requested the Sri Lankan skipper to continue playing the sport and not think about her retirement from the game. He was also willing to discuss a pay hike for the Sri Lankan skipper with the Sri Lanka Cricket Board if the requirement arises.
