11 February - Cape Town - Sri Lanka Captain Chamari Athapaththu pre-match press conference
[Reporter]
Hi, could you just tell us a little bit about what the celebrations were like yesterday after the opening win?
[Chamari Athapaththu]
I'm really happy about my performance and my team performance we celebrated yesterday. Really happy bunch of players. So I think they do the same thing in tomorrow, they're in good mindset, good positive mindset. They will keep doing the same thing in tomorrow.
[Reporter]
What is the message to the team after such a big win on the first day and you have another match?
[Athapaththu]
Yeah, I just told them the one game is finished. We have to focus on the next game, we stick with our plans for next game. Bangladesh team also a really good team, they have good players. So we never underestimate Bangladesh. So we focus on our skills and we back our skills, we stick with our plans for tomorrow game. We have good plans. I know we have a good bowling line up and we want to improve our batting a little bit. So we focus on tomorrow game.
[Reporter]
You spoke about the power play yesterday. You come from a place where your head coach was one of the greatest fast bowlers. Here you played yesterday with four, in front of four of the best fast bowlers and you had problem scoring. There were only two shots that were innovated, the Dilscoop and the lap shot. Are you doing more innovation to counter in the future matches because innovative is important for batters at the top end.
[Athapaththu]
Yeah, definitely we have to use the pace that fast bowlers because we can't play good full shots in these kind of wickets and these kind of fast bowlers in this condition is too hard to bat in first six overs. Because yesterday I faced one of the best fast bowlers in the world, especially Ismail and the Kapp. They are most experienced fast bowlers in this international level. So yeah, definitely I'm agreed with you. We have to adjust that area. So our coach, Mr. Romesh is really good coach and he taught some tips for tomorrow game and the rest of the games. So yeah, we have to adjust that area, definitely.
[Reporter]
Supplementary question to that. You missed out on 10 to 12 drives, the drives that you were there. You were not connecting. Were you upset with yourself, especially since you are a free flowing batter and suddenly the ball doesn't connect with the bat. Do you get upset?
[Athapaththu]
Yeah, because I tried to adjust the wicket, but the first six overs were too hard to adjust to the wicket, you know, the ball heavy length and the ball did bounce. So I can't connect properly. So I just think, OK, in these conditions, this type of wickets, we can't play straight drives easy because we have to play just the pace and bounce. We have to lofted off dry, lofted on dry, that kind of shots we can use in these conditions. So first 10 - 15 balls I struggle, but I manage after that.
[Reporter]
My question to you is you had a great win over South Africa yesterday. How was the feeling after that? And then you have a quick turnover. You have a game again tomorrow. So have you guys had a chance to relax? You had your training session today again. So how's the overall morale?
[Athapaththu]
Overall, our preparation is really good for tomorrow game. We have fully get out full day off today. But we have to focus on tomorrow game, four days, two games too hard. But we have as a professional cricketers, we have to adjust these things. So girls are in good mood, their mindset is really good for tomorrow game. I hope they will continue their best performance tomorrow.
[Reporter]
And then your game is against Bangladesh. They have a Sri Lankan coach, so they must have prepared very well. So you play them quite often in Asia Cups as well. So what is the planning that you guys have been doing?
[Athapaththu]
Definitely Bangladesh is really good side. Another thing is our ex national coach worked on Bangladesh team. So, he knows what the secrets in our side are. But yeah, we stick with our plans. And normally we all know Bangladesh have good spin lineup. But in the Asia Cup, we are playing in Bangladesh, their home soil. But we beat Bangladesh in their home condition in Asia Cup. These conditions are really good for the batters. We have good batters in my side. So, I am not underestimating Bangladesh team, but we have good batting line up. So, tomorrow’s game is very crucial for both sides. So, we stick with our plans. We have several plans for their batters and the bowlers.
