Sashikala leads team for World Cup

The national selectors yesterday retained Sashikala Siriwardena as the captain of the 15 member Sri Lanka women’s cricket team for the Inernational Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s World Cup which will be worked off from March 7 to 22 in New South Wales, Australia.

Siriwardena is currently leading the team in Bangladesh for a Triangular Series which also features the hosts and Pakistan. The Lankans have been drawn in group B along with India, England and Pakistan.

Sri Lanka’s opening match of the tournament will be on March 7 against England at Canberra. They will take on Pakistan on March 9 at the same venue and India on March 12 at Bankstown.

The hosts Australia, New Zealand, West Indies and South Africa are drawn in group A. The three top teams from each group will qualify to play in the Super Sixes from March 14 to 19 with matches to be worked off in North Sydney, Bankstown and Drummoyne.

The play off matches will be held on March 22 and the final is scheduled for March 22 at North Sydney.

The Sri Lanka women’s team for the World Cup: Sashikala Siriwardane (captain), Chamani Seneviratne (vice captain), Chamari Polgampola, Dedunu de Silva, Suvini de Alwis, Eshani Kaushalya, Sripali Weerakkody, Dilani Manodara, Hiruka Fernando, Rose Fernando, Chandi Wickramasinghe, Inoka Galagedera, Deepika Ranasinghe, Udeshika Prabodani, Gayathri Kariyawasam.

Stand bys: Sanduni Abeywickrama, Maduri Samudika, Lasanthi Madushanthi.

Officials on Tour: Ms. Indrani Ariyaratne (Manager), Chitral Mendis (coach), Ms. Dinendra Jayasinghe (trainer), Ms. W D Venuka Nishanthi (Physio), Ms. M P Jayasiri (Masseur), Ms. Thanuja P Ekanayake (National Selector on Tour), Naveed Nawaz (Consultant), Tosvin Jayatissa (Computer Analyst).

C.D.