ICC women’s cricket challenge:

Sashikala leads Sri Lanka team

Chris DHAMBARAGE

All-rounder Sashikala Siriwardena will captain the Sri Lanka team at the inaugural International Cricket Council women’s cricket challenge which will be worked off from October 6 to 16 in Potchefstroom, South Africa.

The tournament which is being conducted in association with Cricket South Africa, will see women’s teams ranked between fifth and 10th in the world compete against each other in a series of ODI and Twenty20 fixtures.

Women’s sides from South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Netherlands and Ireland will compete in the event which will see a shake-up to the second half of the Women’s ODI Team rankings after the conclusion of the ODI section of the tournament.

This tournament will be an ideal way for the women’s teams ranked outside of the top four to gain more match experience in both ODI and Twenty20 formats.

The tournament will also provide a good challenge to all the six competing teams as none of them have yet qualified for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup to be staged in India in 2013.

The only teams who have qualified for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup are the top four ranked women’s ODI teams, England, New Zealand, India and Australia.

The teams participating in Potchefstroom will fill the rest of the ODI team rankings table based on their standings at the conclusion of the ODI part of the tournament.

The Sri Lanka women’s team: Sashikala Siriwardena (captain), Dilhani Manodara (Vice Captain/WK), Chamari Polgampola, Eshani Lokusuriya, Deepika Rasangika, Sandamali Dolawatta, Suvini de Alwis, Chamani Seneviratne, Sripali Weerakkody, Udeshika Prabodini, Lasanthi Madushani, Hiruka Fernando, Chamari Athapaththu and Saduni Abeywickrama. Stand byes: Inoka Galagedara, Rangika Fernando, Shareena Ravikumar, Chandi Wickremasinghe.

T20 Group A: West Indies/South Africa/Netherlands

T20 Group B: Pakistan/Sri Lanka/Ireland

The itinerary:

October 6: Sri Lanka v South Africa, Pakistan v Ireland, West Indies v Netherlands, October 7: Netherlands v Sri Lanka, Ireland v West Indies, Pakistan v South Africa, October 9: West Indies v Sri Lanka, Netherlands v Pakistan, Ireland v South Africa, October 10: South Africa v West Indies, Sri Lanka v Pakistan, Ireland v Netherlands, October 12: South Africa v Netherlands, Sri Lanka v Ireland, West Indies v Pakistan, October 14: West Indies v South Africa, Pakistan v Sri Lanka, South Africa v Netherlands, Sri Lanka v Ireland

October 16: Netherlands v West Indies, Ireland v Pakistan