Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu delivered an emotional assessment of her career following Sri Lanka’s five-wicket defeat to the West Indies at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, admitting that not leading the team to a World Cup semi-final remains her greatest disappointment.
Speaking after the match, the 36-year-old said that despite her personal achievements during an 18-year international career, she feels she has fallen short as a captain.
“Even though I have achieved many things personally, I think I’m a failure as a captain. That’s the biggest pain for a player,” Athapaththu said.
The Sri Lankan skipper, who has featured in every Women’s T20 World Cup since 2009, said she was deeply saddened by the possibility that another opportunity to guide Sri Lanka into the knockout stages may have slipped away.
Athapaththu also took responsibility for the defeat after being dismissed for just two runs, saying she should have played a more responsible innings and insisting that she would not place the blame on her teammates.
Reflecting on her future, the veteran all-rounder said she remains undecided about continuing beyond the current tournament, adding that her fitness, form and the needs of the team would influence that decision.
Despite the setback, Sri Lanka are not yet out of semi-final contention. They must win their remaining matches against Ireland and Scotland and rely on other results going their way to keep their hopes alive.
Athapaththu is widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers produced by Sri Lanka and remains the leading figure in the growth of the women’s game in the country. (Newswire)
