Bipin Dani
Sri Lanka’s women’s team captain Chamari Athapaththu (or for that matter no other women’s team player from Sri Lanka) could not get a chance to play in the Indian Women’s Premier League, but has been invited to play the Women’s League Exhibition matches in Pakistan. This was revealed by Tania Mallick, the Head of Women’s Cricket, PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board).
Speaking exclusively over the telephone from Rawalpindi on Monday morning, she said, “Chamari Athapaththu is one of the foreign participants to play these matches here”.
“We are in the process of hosting the Women’s Premier League in Pakistan and look out the window for it. These exhibition matches are the rehearsals”.
The 35-year-old batting all rounder Chamari reached Pakistan on Sunday night.
“After a long journey from Colombo to Islamabad, she reached here late night yesterday (Sunday) and is not a part of the training session on Monday but will be practicing from Tuesday”. “We have three matches to be played on 8th, 10th and 12th March”, Tania Mallick added.
“Total of 10 foreign players from seven Test playing countries (England, Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Ireland and New Zealand) are participating. Chamari is a part of the Super Women team. The only other Asian player Jahanara Alam (Bangladesh) is also in the same team playing against Amazons team”, she added.
“In these exhibition matches only two teams are participating but there will be more in the Women’s Premier League”, another PCB spokesperson hoped.
