By Srian Obeyesekere
Former Sri Lanka star bowler, Rumesh Ratnayake, who championed Sri Lanka to the island nation’s historic first test win against India, has been at it again guiding the destinies of the nation’s women’s cricket.
Ever since taking over the coaching reins on February 10, 2023 during a shaky passage after his predecessor Hashan Tillekeratne quit the job in October 2022, Rumesh has transformed the Sri Lanka Women’s team to rubbing shoulders with top teams in international cricket from small beginnings.
For a country that women’s cricket languished in a backseat in not finding the same interest by girls to playing cricket at one time in comparison to the men’s cricket, Rumesh Ratnayake has b and large risen to the challenge of putting things right to getting the national team on track. He has evidently showcased the type of commitment and verve that he put into his cricket career when he spearheaded the Sri Lankan attack in the 1980s to creating a significant turnaround in the fortunes of the Sri Lanka Women’s Cricket Team. This fact has in fact been echoed by the team’s captain, Chamari Athapaththu in no uncertain terms when she tribute the Head Coach for putting muscle on the team by setting certain standards in his coaching formula from meeting deadlines to discipline.
The Sri Lanka’s Women’s cricketers have been on a roll under the tutelage of Rumesh Ratnayake secured a historic 2-1 victory against South Africa in the Women’s T20I series in the wake of hammering England in England to capping it by bringing down Asian giants India in the 2024 Asia Cup final to ending their longtime domination in the Asia Cup.
Most striking in this forward march has been Ratnayake’s acumen in whipping up promising young talent discovered from the school periphery to the national mainstream to becoming potential match winners.
Head Coach Rumesh Ratnayake puts SL Women’s Cricket on track
By Srian Obeyesekere
Former Sri Lanka star bowler, Rumesh Ratnayake, who championed Sri Lanka to the island nation’s historic first test win against India, has been at it again guiding the destinies of the nation’s women’s cricket.
Ever since taking over the coaching reins on February 10, 2023 during a shaky passage after his predecessor Hashan Tillekeratne quit the job in October 2022, Rumesh has transformed the Sri Lanka Women’s team to rubbing shoulders with top teams in international cricket from small beginnings.
For a country that women’s cricket languished in a backseat in not finding the same interest by girls to playing cricket at one time in comparison to the men’s cricket, Rumesh Ratnayake has b and large risen to the challenge of putting things right to getting the national team on track. He has evidently showcased the type of commitment and verve that he put into his cricket career when he spearheaded the Sri Lankan attack in the 1980s to creating a significant turnaround in the fortunes of the Sri Lanka Women’s Cricket Team. This fact has in fact been echoed by the team’s captain, Chamari Athapaththu in no uncertain terms when she tribute the Head Coach for putting muscle on the team by setting certain standards in his coaching formula from meeting deadlines to discipline.
The Sri Lanka’s Women’s cricketers have been on a roll under the tutelage of Rumesh Ratnayake secured a historic 2-1 victory against South Africa in the Women’s T20I series in the wake of hammering England in England to capping it by bringing down Asian giants India in the 2024 Asia Cup final to ending their longtime domination in the Asia Cup.
Most striking in this forward march has been Ratnayake’s acumen in whipping up promising young talent discovered from the school periphery to the national mainstream to becoming potential match winners.
