CHENNAI: 2023 has been one of the best years for Chamari Athapaththu. She led the Sri Lankan side that won the silver medal in the Asian Games, defeated New Zealand in ODIs, and if that wasn't enough Sri Lanka even stunned England, the T20 World Cup semi-finalist, in the T20I series away from home, where she was the player of the series.
Now, she is back in the ninth season of the Women's Big Bash League in Australia after missing out in the previous season. Even after the personal list of accolades, Athapaththu, who has finished 15 years in international cricket wants to look after the young crop of players from her country. "For the last few months, I have been in good form. Not just me, but my entire team as well. As a team, we have done really well," she told the media from Sydney.
Athapaththu has been the leader of the entire Sri Lankan team for many years. But if the recent success is any indication, many players are emerging to support the leader. Yet, only Athapaththu has made it to the franchise leagues from her country. The captain hopes that things will change soon as many players from SL are keen to participate in these types of events. "Girls want to play, but they need opportunities. If any franchise is offering them the opportunities they will come and play. I would especially like to mention Kavisha Dilhari, Harshitha Madavi and Vishmi Gunaratne as well. They have played excellent cricket and helped me build an excellent team for Sri Lanka," the proud captain mentioned.
For now, Athapaththu is the only South Asian player in the WBBL along with the Indian captain, Harmanpreet Kaur --- both explosive batters and handy spinners in their own rights. But Athapathu wants more representation of the players from the region in all of the franchise leagues and not just the WBBL.
"If any other franchise, like WBBL, or Women's Premier League, or the Hundred or even FairBreak invitational, offers my girls the opportunity, they will get that experience. I have missed a couple of franchise leagues (myself). They did not offer me anything. I cannot control these things, but I can continue to show my skill and talent. I don't care about money, but the opportunities matter. I love playing in the WBBL, especially at the North Sydney Oval. Sydney is familiar and special for me because I have scored my T20I century here. It's like a batting paradise," added the 33-year-old.
Since her inclusion in the side, Athapaththu has elevated Thunder with her personal all-round performance. With two back-to-back half-centuries and four wickets in two matches, she bagged the Player of the Match award in both of the fixtures as Thunder are second in the points table after managing to win only one match in the previous season. There is still a long way to go in the season, but all signs are pointing towards Thunder making it to the knockouts of the ninth season.
"Compared to other leagues, the standard of this league is high as we know the Australian domestic structure is really good. They have young players coming up and the best (international) players as well, so the league is one of the best in the world at the moment. These opportunities are vital for us. I can share the knowledge (from here) with my players in Sri Lanka. With my experience of 15 years, I can help both teams, and that is what I want to do."
Women's cricket has seen exceptional growth over the last few years post-pandemic, where only a few countries could realistically support their women's programs. Since coming back from that break, the competitiveness between the sides has gone beyond imagination. Clearly, more investment is necessary from many countries that have fallen behind.
With increasing franchise cricket for women and more talent coming from the South Asian region, sky's the limit for athletes like Athapaththu.And as she suggested, it's not about money, it's about opportunities. Hope those in decision-making positions are listening.