Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu: ‘Would Love To See An Asian Team Win The WC’ | Cricket News

Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu hopes an Asian team will secure the Women’s World Cup, a feat that has eluded Asian nations since the tournament’s inception.

Historically, only three countries have won the Women’s World Cup: Australia seven times, England four, and New Zealand once.

India has come close twice but finished as runners-up, losing to Australia and England in the finals.

“As an Asian, I would love to see an Asian team win this trophy — maybe Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, or Bangladesh. Playing in Asia feels special for us. It’s a privilege to play on home soil, and I hope an Asian team lifts the trophy this year,” Athapaththu said ahead of their tournament opener against India.

Sri Lanka is returning to the Women’s World Cup after an eight-year hiatus, and Athapaththu stated that the team’s immediate goal is to reach the semi-finals, with five league games at home.

“This is the first time Sri Lanka is co-hosting. Playing in the subcontinent is an advantage because India and Sri Lanka have similar conditions. But if we think too much about it, we won’t do well. If we can make the semifinals, that will be a really good achievement for us. Then we can take it from there,” she said.

Athapaththu acknowledged India as the team to beat in familiar conditions.

“We’ve been playing really good cricket in the last 12 months. India are favourites, they know the conditions well. We just want to play our best cricket without putting too much pressure on our shoulders. If we execute well, we can win. India are a good and experienced side,” she remarked.

Sri Lanka’s preparation included finishing as runners-up in the home tri-nation series earlier this year and winning the Asia Cup T20 last year.

“We haven’t played any international cricket after the tri-series, but we had a good domestic season. In the tri-series, we beat South Africa but lost the final to India. Overall, we played really good cricket. Both our youngsters and seniors are in good form, and I hope we can play our best cricket in this World Cup,” she said.

With five of their seven league games scheduled at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium, Sri Lanka will rely on home advantage.

“We have five games on our home soil, and we know the conditions better than anyone. But still, we have to play our best cricket. As a bowling and batting unit, we need to click together. The ground, the spectators — everything is in our favour, but we still have to perform,” Athapaththu cautioned.

Athapaththu, who has played two seasons in the Women’s Premier League, also spoke about facing India in the opener.

“I know most of the Indian players. I know their skill set, and they know mine. They have a good, experienced bowling line-up. On a particular day, whoever absorbs the challenge better will come out on top. Compared to both teams, India will be under a little bit of pressure.”

Sri Lanka finished fifth in the ICC Women’s Championship, but Athapaththu believes the mix of experience and youth, along with home support, can make a difference this time.

“It’s not just about me anymore. We’ve got youngsters who know how to handle pressure, and they are doing the job really well,” she said.

(With PTI Inputs)