{"id":109190,"date":"2023-02-19T17:21:21","date_gmt":"2023-02-19T17:21:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=109190"},"modified":"2023-02-19T17:22:25","modified_gmt":"2023-02-19T17:22:25","slug":"shashikala-siriwardena-sri-lankas-best-female-cricketer-by-sunil-thenabadu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/shashikala-siriwardena-sri-lankas-best-female-cricketer-by-sunil-thenabadu\/","title":{"rendered":"Shashikala Siriwardena Sri Lanka\u2019s best female cricketer \u2013 by Sunil Thenabadu"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shashikala Siriwardena Sri Lanka\u2019s best female cricketer \u2013 By Sunil Thenabadu<\/span><\/span><\/u><\/u><\/b><\/h2>\n

\"Valentine's<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"Sri Lanka woman’s cricket team’s ICC T\/20 World Cup campaign ended after the final of ICC Women’s T 20 tournament in year 2020 with a comprehensive win by nine wickets over Bangladeshi women at the Junction Oval in central Melbourne.Shashikala Siriwardena, former skipper and the first superstar of the Sri Lankan Woman’s cricket team, had already decided to end her 17year long international career after this WC encounter.<\/u><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

Shashikala Siriwardena captured four wickets in this last encounter of hers for just 16 runs in her quota of four overs with her off spinners, for which she was adjudicated as the \u201cPlayer of the Match\u201d. At the podium after receiving her award she spoke impecca- bly well bidding farewell and thanking all who had helped her in her long career answer- ing in eloquently in English to questions posed by popular cricket presenter Allen Wilkins ” I\u2019m feeling so happy because I could contribute to my team in my last match, so really proud,” said the then 35yearold. “It was emotional, but you cannot keep emotions on the field. She did say that every sportsman has to take this decision when ageing, it is common.\u201d<\/u><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

Born on 14th February 1985 Hettimulla Appuhamilage Shashikala Dedunu Siriwardene in Colombo had studies at President\u2019s College , Sri Jayawardenepura, Kotte. She had begun playing cricket when she was just 11 years old.\u00a0On March 13, 2003, Shashikala made her International de- but against the West Indies as an 18 year old in the West Indies. In her first match, she became the Sri Lanka’s leaing scorer and best bowler, creating a big impact for the team. Although Chamari Atapattu became the superstar of woman’s cricket in the last few years. Although during the last few years before Chamari\u2019s performance, Shashikala Siriwardene became, undoubtedly the first superstar of Sri Lanka’s woman’s cricket team.<\/u><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

She excelled in bowling, batting and fielding, was able to give the team supreme service as an all rounder. Although Sri Lanka naturally as babes of cricket had more defeats than wins, it was under Shashikala that Sri Lanka was able to defeat India and England.<\/u><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n