30 July 2024 11:20 am Views - 2901
(Daily Mirror) - The Sri Lanka women's cricket team brought so much joy to the nation on Sunday when they lifted the Asia Cup in Dambulla following an emphatic chase against a very strong Indian team.
Captain Chamari Atapattu led from the front throughout the tournament but the likes of Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kaveesha Dilhari and Anushka Sanjeewani made significant contributions in what will go down as a campaign to remember for the Sri Lankan women's cricket.
With Atapattu being one of the finest women's cricketers in the world, many considered this side to be a 'one-woman' team, but in the recent past the other women's cricketers have made their mark which is one of the reasons why they are champions of Asia.
While the Sri Lanka men's team continues to be a laughing stock at world's stage, the Sri Lanka women's team has become very close to the hearts of Sri Lanka fans, and the packed house in Dambulla on Sunday for the final was a clear example of this.
With the steady rise of the women's team, there has now been calls for the women's team to be paid equal salary. It is reported that the national female cricketers are being paid USD 750 per game while the male players are getting way more than that.
It must be clearly stated that there is no comparison between the men's and women's game. The men's game is much more faster and physical compared to the women's game. There are some ambitious suggestions on social media about the potential of Chamari Atapattu being drafted into the men's team, but it is very unlikely that she is going to be successful against the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell Starc, Jofra Archer and Anrich Nortje, but there is also no doubt that Chamari Atapattu is easily one of the best women's cricketers in the world and no current Sri Lankan male cricketer is world class.
Another aspect that has been globally discussed is the higher revenues brought in by the men's game. Women's cricket is still to reach the same level, but the atmosphere on Sunday's final gives hopes for the women's game to have packed stadiums in future as well.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) bosses often boast about their financial super powers whenever they are questioned over the embarrassing downfall of men's cricket in Sri Lanka. So, it would be a big shock if they are unable to make equal payments for both men and women.
This decision should not be based on the revenues they bring in or the improvements they have made, but purely because the women's team has given the Sri Lankan fans something to cheer about.
When Sri Lanka got hammered in the World Cup, Kusal Mendis on his return to the island said 'they can't do much about losing games and it's not in their hand,' but the hero of Sri Lanka women's team on Sunday Harshitha Samarawickrama said after the game that the moment she dropped two catches while fielding in the final, she was very determined to chase whatever the Indian team would get. This is where currently Sri Lanka's men's and women's cricket are at.