Optimistic Salma, Delany and Athapaththu look forward to the World T20

After a highly successful ICC Women’s World Cup 2017, upcoming ICC Women’s World T20 is going to be another nail-biting competitive tournament. Talking about this mega event, the captains of Bangladesh, Ireland and Sri Lanka have penned down their thoughts for ICC (International Cricket Council).



As the focus is on the top teams like defending champions West Indies, three-time champions Australia and ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 champions England, this World T20 will give the opportunity to other teams as well to perform well and leave their mark.



Bangladesh T20 captain Salma Khatun is optimistic about their team's success. They won the Asia Cup in June, beating India twice and won the ICC Women's World T20 Qualifiers as well. They are placed in Group A, along with the defending champions West Indies, England, South Africa and Sri Lanka.



"Women’s cricket has come a long way during the last few years, especially after the last World Cup. People are showing more interest and viewership has also increased in big numbers. The quality of the game and fiercely-contested matches have contributed to the popularity of the women’s game and I’m confident this is a trend that will continue in the coming years."



Salma further wrote, "The ICC Women’s World T20 will again get attention from every corner and it is an opportunity for all of us to ensure that we entertain viewers. Having done well in this year’s Asia Cup, where we were able to beat ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 finalists India, we are confident of doing well in the upcoming tournament."



"If we play to our potential, this is a good chance for us. We have a fine spin attack and see an opportunity on the pitches of the West Indies, which may provide some help to the slow bowlers too."



"We will earn respect from our opposition after some fine recent performances and having proved that we are not mere pushovers. All the teams are strong enough to have an impact in the competition but we are up for the challenge. Considering the performances in the recent past, it is hard to name one or two teams as potential winners but what I’m sure of is a highly competitive event," she added.



Ireland captain Laura Delany wants to show the world that Irish cricket is on the rise. They are ready for the challenge after being in a tough group that is Group B which includes Australia, New Zealand, India and Pakistan.



"From the moment we qualified for the ICC Women’s World T20 tournament, our minds have turned to the challenge ahead. With Australia, India, Pakistan and New Zealand in our group, we may be considered outsiders to progress, however, we will head to the Caribbean with the confidence that we came through a tough season and finished on a high."



Delany expressed, "We proudly watched on as our colleagues in Irish hockey surpassed all expectations at their recent World Cup (reaching the final of the tournament played in London), and have taken inspiration from their fearlessness when confronted with higher-ranked opponents."



"Two of our longest term squad members, Clare Shillington and Ciara Metcalfe, have both announced that this will be their last tournament for Ireland, and we plan to send these two legends of Irish women’s cricket off with some performances that we can all be proud of."



"Come the 11th of November, when we step out on the field in Guyana against the Southern Stars, we’ll be ready – and if we can play to our full potential, then we can show the world that Irish cricket is on the rise," she added.



Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu smashed an unbeaten 178 against Australia in last year’s ICC Women’s World Cup and she felt that this World T20 will give a chance to all the sides to make an impact.



"We played in the West Indies a year ago. Then we received slow pitches. However, as this is an ICC tournament, I believe we will get good (batting) wickets. In the T20 format; there is a chance for all the teams and any team can make an impact, given that they play well and seize every opportunity in the field."



Athapaththu further wrote, "Sri Lanka is confident of going forward in this tournament. We did well in the just-concluded series against India. Our preparation is at its best. The team is practising hard and we are very clear about our goals."



"The team has improved in many areas. We have ironed out fielding errors and will be testing the success of it during the practice games we play in the coming days," she expressed.