Those words were expressed by Sri Lanka women’s captain Chamari Attapattu during the launch of the series at the JAIC Hilton yesterday. This will be a historic event as the two countries are playing a bilateral women’s series for the first time.

The Aussie lasses will participate in a practice match tomorrow at the R. Premadasa International Stadium before they leave for Dambulla to commence the four-match ODI series on September 18. They will play their final match in Colombo on September 28.

Aussie skipper Megan Lanning thanked Sri Lanka Cricket for inviting them and said that they are eagerly looking forward for a challenging tour.

“We know that we will have a tough time here with the conditions, but hopefully we will give a good performance. This is a good test for us to see how we can adjust to these conditions,” said the Aussie captain.

When asked what is the secret of their success in being ranked number one, Megan said that they have practiced hard with great commitment and have been rewarded with continuous success throughout.

Chamari went on to say that this is a very important series for them in preparation for the ICC 2017 Women’s World Cup.

“We are sorry that our captain Shashikala (Siriwardena) is out of this series due to a back injury, but we have a good team consisting of experience and talent. We have selected very talented players as new caps. Although they lack experience if they perform to their potential, we can still pose a big challenge to the Aussies,” said Chamari.

“The Australian players are physically stronger than us and they can go for big hits whenever needed, but we are confident that our spinners will try and keep them under the 200-run mark as much as possible,” she said.

SLC secretary Mohan de Silva said that they have invested in women’s cricket a lot in recent times and hope to extend the support to popularize the sport throughout the country.

“SLC has launched a program to develop women’s cricket, especially in schools and we are going to introduce ‘Big’ matches among girls’ schools in order to pick hidden talent,” said De Silva. “I hope our women’s national team will reap the maximum benefit from this tour and wish both teams good luck.”

Australian coach Mott Matthew expressed his gratitude to SLC and said they have trained a lot to face these tough conditions and hoped to have a great series.

“We are very impressed by the passion of Sri Lankan cricket fans and hope to enjoy a memorable time here with Sri Lankan hospitality,” Mott stated.

Squads:

Sri Lanka: Chamari Atapattu (captain), Prasadini Weerakkody (vice-captain), Dilani Manodara, Nipuni Hansika, Chamari Polgampola, Eshani Lokusooriya, Udeshika Prabodini, Inoka Ranaweera, Sugandika Kumari, Achini Kulasooriya, Inoshi Fernando, Imalka Mendis, Ama Kanchana, Harshitha Madhavi.

Australia: Meg Lanning (captain), Alex Blackwell (vice-captain), Kristen Beams, Nicole Bolton, Rene Farrell, Holly Ferling, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Beth Mooney, Erin Osborne, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani.

Fixtures:

Sep 15: Warm-up match

at R Premadasa Stadium

Sep 18: 1st ODI at Dambulla

Sep 20: 2nd ODI at Dambulla

Sep 23: 3rd ODI at R Premadasa Stadium

Sep 25: 4th ODI at R Premadasa Stadium

Sep 27: One-off T20I at SSC

Sep 28: Departure

“A lot of youngsters try to play T20s and one-dayers, but I’m giving advice to them that they should make sure they enjoy Test cricket first, then they can enjoy one-dayers and T20s,” said 39-year-old Dilshan after playing his 330th and final ODI at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium on Sunday against Australia before retiring.

“Everyone has to play more Test cricket. That is the duty of the game. I really enjoyed my Test career as well, rather than the one-dayers. This is a time for our youngsters to put their hands up and take over Sri Lankan cricket. That’s the reason for my retirement. The youngsters are doing really well. Hopefully they can take our national flag a long way,” he said.

Dilshan appeared for his country in 87 Tests scoring 5492 runs at an average of 40.98 with 16 hundreds and captained in 11 of them. It was during his short tenure as captain that Dilshan made his highest Test score – a magnificent 193 against England at Lord’s in 2011 and Sri Lanka recorded their maiden Test win in South Africa by 208 runs at Durban in 2012.

About the timing of his retirement Dilshan said, “I just thought it was time, just as I had thought with my Test career. After this series there is no cricket for me for six months. It’s in January that we play next in South Africa. I thought that it’s better for a new player to train with the team in those six months than me.

“They can get good experience with the team during that time. I thought it was enough so I talked with my wife and my parents. If young players can win in the future that would give me the most joy. You can’t buy that feeling.

“There was no influence.

I had been expecting to play on, but I talked with a lot of people around me and changed my mind. I talked to Thilanga Sumathipala (SLC president) as well, who is someone you can get a lot of good advice from. He’s been like a father, when I faced some problems. I’ve got that support from all these people.”

Reflecting back on his career Dilshan said, “I am happy about what I’ve done for my country in my career. I won’t forget my 17 years serving Sri Lanka. I gave everything in all my matches. If I couldn’t bat, I bowled, and if I couldn’t bowl well, I fielded well.

I can be happy about my journey. Today also I tried my best to win this game, but unfortunately we were short by about 10 or 15 runs. I’m also disappointed that after getting a 40 – and getting starts in the last two games – I couldn’t get a big one. But I’m glad to be giving the youngsters a chance.”

Dilshan said that he hadn’t planned to retire before the series but when he woke up that day he felt that it was time for him to go.

“Whether someone tells me to keep playing or stop playing, that’s not what’s important. What is important is what I feel.

I started the series thinking that I’ll play for another year – at least in T20 cricket. But when I woke up that day I felt that it was time to go,” said Dilshan.

“To be honest I could easily play for another year or two. But we have to look to the future. If I play for another two years and leave, there’s only 18 months before the next World Cup and that’s unfair to the team. A young player could be blooded in that time.

“Since I started opening six years ago, we haven’t found a permanent partner for me. I’ve opened with about 10 people – so that’s a problematic area for us.

If I keep playing we won’t be able to get two batsmen settled in that place. At the same time I’ll also get some rest,” he said.

Sri Lanka are among New Zealand’s current sequence of 11 unbeaten Tests at home having suffered two comprehensive defeats at the start of last summer, despite having the redoubtable Kumar Sangakkara to anchor the batting order.
Sangakkara then followed Mahela Jayawardene into retirement in August leaving an array of former discards, debutants and largely untested newcomers to support captain Angelo Mathews, opener Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal as the chief source of runs.

While McCullum’s involvement in the Cairns perjury trial and English umpire Llong’s appointment despite a game-changing blunder in Adelaide last month were naturally storylines leading into the first home Test of the summer, Sri Lanka’s preparations have also been dogged by dramas.

Dhammika Prasad’s tour-ending back injury in the warm-up game in Queenstown and first-choice wicket keeper Kusal Perera’s exile after testing positive to a banned substance has made a tough assignment even more daunting for a squad that has played their last eight Tests in Colombo, Galle or Pallekele.
Mathews alluded to the change of climate on Wednesday, yet losing Prasad and Perera are bigger concerns.
“Kusal’s news was shocking. I can’t really comment on that. We hope Sri Lankan cricket, Kusal and his lawyers will do their best to get him on the park ASAP,” he said.

Recalled opener Kaushal Silva was due to arrive on Wednesday as Perera’s replacement, a timeframe that meant he was highly unlikely to feature so the uncapped Udara Jayawardena is in line to blunt the new ball with Karunaratne.
“We don’t have greats in the team anymore, so it’s up to us. We’ve got to pass on what we know,” said Karunaratne, who is one of just three specialist batsmen with previous Test experience in New Zealand – he made 152 in last year’s Boxing Day Test in Christchurch.

Kithuruwan Vithanage finds himself reinstated to the top order after an impressive A tour in Christchurch in October, while 20-year-old Kusal Mendis, who has one Test and only 11 first-class games on his resume, retains his place despite twin failures in Queenstown.
Milinda Siriwardana, who is just two Tests into his career, rounds out the capable batsmen and will also offer a second spin bowling option behind Rangana Herath who is likely to be confined to a containment role until the pitch wears.
In contrast to Mathews, McCullum has few concerns – Cairns is apparently not among them – as the Black Caps seek to build on the momentum they built in Australia after being outplayed in Brisbane.
Other than Martin Guptill’s continuing under-performance at Test level the Black Caps appear set to bounce back from the 2-0 series loss across the Tasman.

Spinner Mark Craig also struggled but could retain his place subject to a final pitch appraisal before the toss. He has been bracketed with left arm quick Neil Wagner.
Although the pitch presented seam-friendly on Wednesday McCullum realized prolonged sunlight could take some sting out of the surface.
“You’ve got to make sure the team is not picked for the first day, you’re picking for the full five days,” said McCullum, before offering both options hope.
“Neil Wagner’s a guy who’s going to bowl long spells so it allows you to rotate your seamers in shorter spells for a little bit more high impact.”
And then the rider: “If it [the wicket] does dry out [before the toss] and if we think it’s going to dry out later in the game then Mark Craig certainly comes into play.”
The Sri Lanka tour of New Zealand will be shown live on Channel Eye as well as on satellite channel Dialog Now from 3 AM (Dec 10). (Agencies)

Sri Lanka’s World Cup winning captain made these remarks when he met with Sobers at his Ministry auditorium yesterday. A felicitation ceremony was held to appreciate Sir Garfield Sobers’ service to the development of Sri Lankan cricket. Ranatunga claimed that Sobers has been a unique coach to Sri Lankan cricket.

“Sir Sobers has been a very special character in my cricketing career. Before the 1993 Australian tour I was not included in the side. But Sir Sobers who came as the coach of the Lankan team, requested the selection committee to include me in the national side. It is after that I was able to secure a permanent place in the national side. Sobers’ guidance and instructions have helped me a lot. So after 30 years when he return to Sri Lanka I am very pleased to meet him,” said Ranatunga.

Addressing the gathering, Sobers predicted that Sri Lankan cricket will have a great time in time to come.

“When I was invited to come to Sri Lanka as a coach by late Gamini Dissanayake, I was in Australia. It was also after little while Sri Lanka gained Test status. But there were talented cricketers in Sri Lanka. So I accepted the invitation. My first job was to train Sri Lankan players to face fast bowlers and prepare their minds to face pace bowlers, because at that time there were very good fast bowlers in the world. Then I focused on their technical aspects. There were talented players in Sri Lanka at that time and I hope Sri Lanka will produce talented players in future as well,” Sir Sobers stated.

Minister Ranatunga also presented a memento to Sir Garfield Sobers during the ceremony. Ports and Aviation Ministry secretary L. P Jayampathi, Sri Lanka Ports Authority Chairman Dhammika Ranatunga, former Test cricketers Pramodya Wickremasinghe and Ravindra Pushpakumara were also present at the occasion.