New Delhi : Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu believes the fact that the upcoming ICC Women's Cricket World Cup will be played on the sub-continent will prove advantageous for her side.
The Asian team returns to the 50-over World Cup after missing the most recent edition in New Zealand in 2022, and Athapaththu thinks the side can be more than competitive at the eight-team tournament to be staged in India and Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka finished in fifth place - their highest ever position at a Women's World Cup - the last time the event was held in the sub-continent back in 2013, and Athapaththu believes that bodes well for her side ahead of the start of the tournament on September 30.
"The sub-continent conditions are something we are used to, and I feel that will give us a secret advantage," Athapaththu said, as quoted from ICC. "Combined with the experience of our senior players, we have a strong balance of youth and maturity, and this year's World Cup is a real chance for us to shine," she added.
"This tournament is also a chance for us to raise our standards to a new level," she told the ICC. "All the teams in this World Cup are here to win, so we will not underestimate anyone. We will treat every opponent with equal respect and give our best in every single match, starting with the opener against India in Guwahati on 30 September," she noted.
Following that tournament opener against India in Guwahati, Sri Lanka will play five of their remaining six matches at the event in front of their home fans in Colombo, and Athapaththu is hoping the crowd will come out and support the side.
"We are excited to be playing some matches in front of our own fans. It's a huge advantage and a good opportunity for us," she said. "Sri Lankan cricket has come a long way since the 1990s, and we have taken part in several World Cups since," Athapaththu noted. "In my own time, I can confidently say that we've grown so much as a team over the years," she said.
"In 2013, we beat defending champions England as well as India, and that was by far the best achievement we had in a World Cup up to that point," she noted. "I feel we have only gotten better since and that we can compete against any side in the world," she said.
Sri Lanka squad: Chamari Athapaththu (c), Hasini Perera, Vishmi Gunarathne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kaveesha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani, Imesha Dulani, Dewmi Vihanga, Piumi Wathsala, Inoka Ranaweera, Sugandika Dasanayaka, Udeshika Prabodani, Malki Madara, Achini Kulasooriya. Reserve: Inoshi Fernando.