In the scorching Colombo heat, three cricket captains gathered for a rather warm pre-series media briefing, where Laura Wolvaardt marked her 26th birthday with a cake that struggled to withstand the heat. Joining her were Chamari Athapaththu and Harmanpreet Kaur, all set for the upcoming tri-nation series. The R Premadasa Stadium’s outfield might not have been the best choice for the event, given the oppressive mid-30s temperature.
“It’s definitely a lot hotter than what we’re used to back home,” Wolvaardt admitted, reflecting on the contrast with South Africa’s current cooler climate. Harmanpreet Kaur, captain of India, echoed this concern. “Heat will play a big role,” she noted. “We’ve been playing night games for the last few months, so adapting to daytime heat will be crucial.”
The series serves as a key precursor to this year’s ODI World Cup in India, offering the teams an opportunity to acclimate to tournament conditions. Both India and South Africa, ranked third and fourth in ICC Women’s ODI rankings, are using this series to fine-tune their strategies. Harmanpreet emphasised, “It’s a great initiative. Facing different teams and managing run rates are crucial exercises before the World Cup.”
Wolvaardt highlighted the tournament’s value in a World Cup year: “Playing in a knockout format and preparing against various teams is vital experience.”
For Sri Lanka, it’s about building competitiveness. Despite recent successes, they aim to ensure constancy against top teams, particularly in the 50-over format. A key concern is their reliance on the top three batsmen: Athapaththu, Vishmi Gunaratne, and Harshitha Samarawickrama. Athapaththu remarked, “The middle order hasn’t contributed enough. We’ve included Hasini Perera, Hansima Karunaratne, and Under-19 captain Manudi Nanayakkara to strengthen it.”
Sri Lanka’s Coach, adding a final thought, hopes the series can reveal their depth and readiness to compete globally. For all teams, facing the heat might just be the first test in a string of challenges leading up to the World Cup.
