10 February - Cape Town - Sri Lanka Captain Chamari Athapaththu post-match press conference

[Reporter]

You can't stop smiling, how much does that win mean for you?

[Athapaththu]

It's a great win for us because last couple of months we lost a lot of games and we lost the Asia Cup finals as well, but this win is really good for, women's cricket in short. And I'm focused on next game, because our target is semi-finals. Then we can decide, we can go finals like that, but first target is semi-finals. My focus is next game against Bangladesh.

[Reporter]

And the atmosphere is nice, the crowd, it's really good,

[Athapaththu]

Yeah, actually I don't have any pressure in this condition because the condition and the atmosphere, especially South Africa home condition, definitely the South Africans support their home team. So we know that, but our plans, we focus on our game, we think up and control. So, we focus on our game and we think our plans, we execute our plans.

[Reporter]

There were two sides of your batting today. From 0 to 12th over, there were hits and misses. 66% of the deliveries - But from 12 to 17, you scored 56 runs. Between the two of you, were you disappointed in the first 10 overs?

[Athapaththu]

No I'm not disappointed, because Shabnim and Marizanne Kapp bowled really good in power play and the other overs. So, I have to adjust the condition because we are in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka, we can't accept this type of wickets anymore. So, we have to adjust these wickets. So, first six overs, we try to adjust because last two games, playing in different, different condition. So, we play this kind of bounce wicket in South Africa last games. But this condition is really good for the fast bowlers. So, I adjust the wicket first 10, then accelerate my inning.

I have a good bowling attack and I restrict that total. The thing is, I feel this wicket is really good for the batters. I know they have good bowlers, but that's why I told that If I won to toss, definitely I will bat first. because I always trust my batting unit. I have good batters. We have good batters. So, especially Vishmi Gunaratne, she's really good. And young Harshitha is a really good batter. So, they know how to handle the conditions. So, that's why I decide bat first. If I won, I definitely will bat first. We lost, still we got an opportunity for bat first. That's really good. Really

[Reporter]

Athapaththu your own responsibility batting in the team. But what about Vishmi today? You mentioned she's a promising talent. How do you assess her innings?

[Athapaththu]

Actually, she's a very upcoming cricket player and a very young superstar in the team. I'm really happy about her performance, and that's what I want to see. She's really good. But really very good with the fastball, especially Shabnim Ismail. She handled that fastbowler very well. That's what I want. I didn't expect that, but she's doing really good. That's really happy to see as a captain, as a senior player, she's really good. I think she has a bright future. She has a bright future, yeah.

[Reporter]

Athapaththu out of the top 10 teams, Sri Lanka's probably had the toughest of it since the T20 World Cup. Without any game, all the stuff you've been through, did that give you guys extra drive coming into this first match to kind of make a statement?

[Athapaththu]

Yeah, definitely, because no one expect Sri Lanka will win, because all I think of is Sri Lanka has some average players, average. So we don't have any pressure, because win or lose no problem for us. So just we stick with our plans, we execute our plans, and we play our potential. And I always told my team, play your fearless game, and trust your skill and back your skill, and don't take too much pressure on their shoulders. So they played really good. Last three overs, they don't have much pressure. I have only three, four experienced players, but the rest of them don't have a lot of experience, but they handled very well in the few overs. They do some mistakes, but they handle really good.

[Reporter]

Do you fear any team in this group?

[Athapaththu]

No fear, because yesterday, this format can't predict any team is number one, number two. Ranking is just a number. At the particular day, who will perform well, they can win. So less mistakes, we can win.

[Reporter]

In the men's SA20, the spinners had success here. I think you got 12 overs of spin. I stand to be corrected. Do you think spin can play a big role going further in the tournament?

[Athapaththu]

I have good experience. Two, three spinners, Inoka and Oshadi, are some really good experienced bowlers. They know how to adjust these conditions, especially these conditions, very good for the fast bowlers. They adjust their line and length, they bowl right in good areas, and they bowl in good dot balls. So they build the pressure. But these conditions are really good for the fast bowlers, but I'm really happy about it. They adjust these conditions, and they're bowling very good.

[Reporter]

You received a lot of plause for your batting today, but there was a moment in the last over, the first ball of the last over, where you saved the boundary. Down on this - it was loud, crowd was noisy. Talk us through, because that's a pretty big pressure moment in the game, and you managed just through and just ensure that your team got home at the end.

[Athapaththu]

Yeah, definitely, I always play with the pressure in my side, because we have only a few experienced players. So I know I have to get that pressure. I always try to lead in from the front. That's what I want to do. So I know I have to give my 200% for my team every time. We don't have much good players, So I need to give my 200% for my men in the middle.

[Reporter]

And maybe just to back up on that, Inoka Ranaweera again, really consistent with her spin. How good is it to bank on three or four overs of her, knowing what you're going to get from her?

[Athapaththu]

Yeah, she's really good, she plays a lot of cricket, and one time she's a Sri Lankan captain as well. So she's in the ICC T20 team, so she's really good. I know her, she shared that knowledge with the youngsters, and she gives 100% for my team. That's as a captain I want to see.

[Reporter]

Just what does this victory mean for Sri Lankan cricket? What does it mean, the victory?

[Athapaththu]

Actually, really good for us, because last couple of months, we lost a couple of games. And last Asia Cup, we lost the finals. So really good for future cricket in Sri Lanka, especially a lot of youngsters get opportunity. And a lot of young girls, definitely some girls are definitely watching Sri Lanka, and they will come to cricket. That's the really good thing, the really good thing. And I hope this win is really good for future of women's cricket in Sri Lanka.

[Reporter]

Athapaththu, what would you like to see improved in the next game?

[Athapaththu]

Definitely we have to improve our fielding. We do some silly mistakes in the last five, six overs of our time. So actually, we have to improve and adjust the condition and handle the pressure in the fielding. So, we have to improve some batting, especially as the batter. I have to score some more runs in six overs.

[Reporter]

Well, one question. You scored 17 boundaries as compared to 9 fours by South Africa. Do you think playing in the top and boundaries takes away the pressure from your team and puts the pressure of the other team?

[Athapaththu]

Yeah, definitely. These format is all depend on the big shots and the boundaries. So as a batter, I try to play my natural game, and I hit boundaries.

[Reporter]

On the boundary, when Vishmi was playing for the boundaries on Shabnim Ismail – what were you telling her?

[Athapaththu]

Yeah, I just told her to focus on the ball, Like, she knows Shabnim is the number one bowler. The first boundary she whacked I said - you hit that boundary for the world number one. And you can hit another. And she hit second boundary. I said to her, you are really good, better than the number one bowler. So you can hit another boundary. And she said, I will. And she's very young. And she thinks like, Shabnim is bowling. She's number one. She has a lot of that. I just want to remove that pressure from her. That's why I always talk to her.