Sports
Sri Lanka haven’t played international cricket since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020
Chamari Athapaththu: ‘Want more match time ahead of Women’s World Cup Qualifier’
Sri Lanka Women captain Chamari Athapaththu believes the postponement of the global Qualifier to determine the final three spots at the 2022 Women’s ODI World Cup from its June-July window to December is a “good thing”. Just for context, Sri Lanka, hosts of the qualifying event, haven’t had any form of international cricket for over a year now.
“To get an additional four-five months for our preparation is a good thing because we haven’t played any international cricket in over 13 months,” Athapaththu told ESPNcricinfo. “Things have been uncertain because of the Covid-19 pandemic and I was a bit worried that if the event went ahead as scheduled, we would have been underprepared. I hope that leading up to December we get a few more series apart from the one against Pakistan that our board is trying to organise.”
ESPNcricinfo understands that talks between SLC and the PCB about Pakistan potentially touring Sri Lanka for limited-overs matches before the Qualifier are only at a preliminary stage. Should they come to fruition, the series might be held only after May.
Both teams, along with West Indies, are among the sides part of the 2017/18-2021 Women’s ODI Championship who will vie for the three qualifying berths for the World Cup to be held in New Zealand from March 4 to April 3.
“Getting some match practice on a regular basis is going to be very important for us before the Qualifiers,” Athapaththu said. “Thailand’s debut in the T20 World Cup last year was proof of the kind of challenge teams outside of the top-ranked nations can present on the world stage. We cannot afford to take anyone lightly because it’s qualification to a World Cup that’s at stake.
“If there are long gaps [for teams] without any cricket for say a year or a year-and-a half, even the best look ordinary. I followed the recent series between India and South Africa. India are a top side, but they hadn’t played for a year, so they couldn’t play well. On the other hand, because South Africa had played some games before coming to India, they looked far better even in the absence of some of their senior players.”
Among a raft of world tournaments that the ICC has postponed due to the pandemic is the inaugural Under-19 Women’s World Cup. Originally scheduled for this year in Bangladesh, the tournament has been pushed back to January 2023. In Athapaththu’s assessment, the postponement will rob several deserving young players of the opportunity to play in the world tournament.
“We have a good bunch of Under-19 girls,” Athapaththu said. “The school cricket tournaments were on over the past few weeks and I think a few girls were on the radar as far as making the potential squad for the Under-19 World Cup was concerned. But, unfortunately, most of them will no longer be able to take part in it because a gap of two years is a sizeable one.
“Age-group tournaments come with age-related restrictions, so not having the tournament this year is a very disappointing thing for those young Sri Lankan girls and for me as an international cricketer. I feel bad for them because our qualifiers have also been postponed, but we will still get a chance [to compete in that tournament], but so many of these girls won’t. We will now have to look for pretty much a fresh bunch of girls to field in the 2023 edition.”
Athapaththu hits form in domestic
competition
Since the T20 World Cup last year, where Sri Lanka won only one of their four league games, the only opportunity Athapaththu has had to play any form of top-flight cricket was in the BCCI’s Women’s T20 Challenge in November in the UAE, where she was the leading run-scorer.
On the domestic front, she was part of the recently concluded Women’s Division One Tournament, the eight-team 50-over competition. Athapaththu, who plays for the Chilaw Marians Cricket Club, finished atop the tournament’s run charts with a 429-run tally in seven innings at an average of 61.29, striking at 120.51. The next-best strike rate, 69.49, belonged to Nilakshi de Silva, who took the second place on this list with 246 runs at an average of 49.20.
For the record, the Navy Sports Club, who were undefeated in the league stage, emerged champions after clinching a two-wicket victory over the Army A team in the final in Welisara on April 2.
Inoka Ranaweera, representing Navy, was the leading wicket-taker in the competition, with 25 wickets in seven innings, at an economy of just 2.27. Kavisha Dilhari, the 20-year-old offspin-bowling allrounder with 14 international caps to her name, finished in the top 10 on both charts.
“I am glad we were able to host the women’s inter-club tournament because several of our national-team players, seniors and youngsters alike, got a chance to shake off a bit of the rust,” Athapaththu said. “It also allowed many of us to assess how we are doing individually because we have been mostly training individually in our hometowns because of the pandemic, though we have had a couple of national camps since September last year. The Covid situation has been an obvious a hindrance to hosting games in Sri Lanka but it’s good to have got some competitive cricket this year.”
Although there are substantial Covid-19 restrictions still imposed by the government, with over 90,000 active cases, Sri Lanka has largely avoided the worst of the pandemic, and many aspects of life have returned to normal. The island’s Covid-19 death toll is just under 600.
In the recent past, SLC hosted the Lanka Premier League and a men’s Test tour, and has a schedule lined up for the men’s national team over the next three months. Athapaththu, who is currently training under her personal coach in Kurunegala, was hopeful that the Division One tournament would pave the way for more playing opportunities for Sri Lanka’s women’s cricketers, too.
“The inter-club tournament went well and Kavisha and many of the other national-team players expectedly did better than the others. If youngsters like her get more game time – on the domestic as well as international level – that will be good for the health of women’s cricket in Sri Lanka. SLC is trying to organise practice matches against Under-17 boys, so that, too, could help us.”
Argentina face the prospect of a Fifa fine after their players celebrated the World Cup semi-final win against England with a banner in support of their country’s claims to the Falkland Islands.
The defending world champions produced a dramatic late comeback in Atlanta, scoring twice to defeat Thomas Tuchel’s side 2-1 and book a showdown with Spain in Sunday’s final.
After the final whistle, Argentina players celebrated while holding a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, which translates as “The Falklands are Argentine”.
The Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory in the south-west Atlantic Ocean, remain the subject of a sovereignty dispute between Britain and Argentina.
The two nations went to war over the group of islands, situated 300 miles off Argentina’s east coast, from April to June 1982.
The 74-day conflict led to the deaths of 655 Argentine and 255 British servicemen. Three people from the islands also died.
In 2014, Fifa fined the Argentine Football Association 20,000 pounds after its players held up a banner with the same message before a friendly against Slovenia.
World football’s governing body said the gesture had breached rules on political action and team misconduct.
[BBC]
Lautaro Martinez scored a 92nd-minute winner as Lionel Messi inspired World Cup holders Argentina to a stunning comeback to beat England 2-1 and set up a final with European football champions Spain.
England had been on course to reach their first FIFA World Cup final since 1966 after Anthony Gordon fired them into the lead 10 minutes into the second half of the semifinal in front of 68,239 fans in Atlanta on Wednesday.
The great rivalry between these nations has produced several memorable contests on the World Cup stage through the years, and this will be remembered as the stuff of legends in Argentina as the South Americans denied England with two late sucker punches.
Messi set up Enzo Fernandez to fire in an 85th-minute equaliser, and then, with extra time looming, crossed for substitute Lautaro Martinez to head in the winner in the second minute of stoppage time.
It was maybe not quite up there with Diego Maradona’s legendary display in putting England to the sword in 1986, but the goals this time brought Argentina back from the dead and kept alive their hopes of winning back-to-back World Cups.
No team has retained the trophy since Brazil in 1962, and now, Messi will become just the second player after Brazilian great Cafu to appear in three World Cup finals. Italy are the only other side to defend a World Cup crown.
The 2026 final will take place at New York New Jersey Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday, as the first 48-team World Cup boils down to a confrontation between the reigning champions of Europe and South America.
Messi had waited until the age of 39 to get the chance to play against England, and he will now face Spain for the first time in a competitive game.
His career appeared to be complete when he dragged Argentina to glory in 2022 in Qatar, but he is clearly not done yet.
England, though, will have huge regrets as they head to Miami to play France in Saturday’s third-place playoff, a game neither team will want to contest.
The prospect of a first World Cup final appearance since their sole triumph 60 years ago was a momentous one, and they were so close, but will live to regret sitting back after Gordon’s opener.
Given the deep-rooted rivalry between these nations, this was always likely to be a game with an edge, and there was a palpable sense of tension at Atlanta Stadium.
Argentina’s players were clearly fired up, partly by a determination to hold onto their World Cup crown but also by a sense of what this fixture means.
That translated into a niggly contest, pockmarked by fouls in the first half, including Elliot Anderson being booked for scything down Messi.
There were no real chances to speak of in the first half, but England struck in the 55th minute.
Kane was involved in the buildup as the ball eventually came to Morgan Rogers on the right, and he whipped in a low cross towards the back post where Gordon stole in front of Nahuel Molina to score.
But this was the stadium where Argentina produced a stunning comeback from 2-0 down to beat Egypt in the last 16, and they were not done.
They threw everything at their opponents, as Jordan Pickford made a great save from a Nico Gonzalez header, and Alexis Mac Allister was then denied by the post in the 76th minute.
Fernandez was denied from range by Pickford, but moments later, he equalised, controlling a Messi pass on the edge of the area and letting fly past the goalkeeper.
Argentina smelled blood, and Mac Allister again hit the post before England failed to clear, and Martinez headed in the winner from an exquisite Messi cross to spark chaotic scenes of celebration and leave England completely deflated.
[Aljazeera]
The key men for Thomas Tuchel’s side during this campaign have been Jude Bellingham and captain Harry Kane, yet they failed to deliver on this occasion, and England’s players slumped to the turf at full-time.
Years of political history and football rivalry will collide in Atlanta when England face Argentina in a World Cup semifinal for the ages.
From the controversial “Hand of God” goal by Diego Maradona in 1986 to David Beckham being red-carded for kicking Diego Simeone in 1998, sporting contests between England and Argentina are often theatrical, tense and tricky.
Then, there is also the lingering sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands.
Divided by geography and conflict, England and Argentina are vastly different in many ways, yet at this World Cup, they have at least one thing in common – both have made a habit of surviving on the edge.
For England, the plan is simple: Find a way to stop the magical force of Lionel Messi and reach their first final in six decades.
And for Argentina? To grind again and chase history in back-to-back finals.
Here’s everything you need to know about this semifinal:
How did England and Argentina reach the semifinals?
England topped Group L with seven points, beating Croatia and Panama and drawing with Ghana. They needed a second-half comeback to beat the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the round of 32 and knocked out co-hosts Mexico3-2 in a scintillating last-16 contest at the iconic Azteca Stadium.
In the quarterfinals, they came from a goal down to beat Norway 2-1 in extra time.
Argentina had a strong showing in the first round, topping Group J by beating Algeria, Austria and Jordan. In the round of 32, they were pushed to their limits before squeezing past Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time, and came from two goals down to beat Egypt 3-2 in a controversial last-16 contest which drew allegations of officiating bias.
Against Switzerland in the quarterfinals, they again played a full 120 minutes before securing a 3-1 win.
At last, Messi meets England
From winning the World Cup to Copa America, lifting the Champions League trophy to the Ballon d’Or, and kissing the Golden Ball, Messi has achieved almost everything possible in football.
But in his 21 years playing for Argentina, there is one thing he has not done: face England.
The 39-year-old forward will play against the Three Lions for the first time, 21 years on from the red card he received in the early days of his career, which denied him the chance in a 2005 friendly.
“I have played against everyone except England, and it is special because they are a major nation, a powerhouse, and it is always nice to play against a side like that, especially in a World Cup semifinal,” Messi said.
With eight goals in six matches, Messi is enjoying a World Cup campaign like no other as he bids for his first Golden Boot. As the captain, he is also leading Argentina’s charge to become the first team to retain the World Cup since Brazil in 1962.
Should they beat England, Argentina would be in their third final in four World Cups, and Messi could follow in the footsteps of Brazil’s great, Cafu, who played in three in a row from 1994 to 2002 – even Maradona only ever played in two.
“Getting to another semifinal is not a normal, mundane thing, so this is something we should really enjoy because we don’t know if it will happen again,” Messi said.
Pickford backs England to keep cool in tense clash
Generations in England have not seen their team lift a major trophy. Their only success came when hosting the 1966 World Cup.
This current squad – headlined by the dynamic duo of Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham – is, however, within touching distance of making history, by not only winning a second trophy, but a first on foreign soil.
Before the game, though, Thomas Tuchel’s side knows the pressure is firmly on them, but goalkeeper Jordan Pickford believes the team can cope.
“You’ve seen throughout the tournament our desire to win tackles. We’ve not got into any scuffles or anything,” he said on Monday.
“We’ve been very well respected within the game. Decisions go our way [or] they don’t go our way, we just reset, we go again, and we let the football do the talking.”
England, fourth in the FIFA rankings, two spots below Argentina, are set to feature in a fourth semifinal in the last five major tournaments.
England vs Argentina predictions
As of Tuesday, Opta’s supercomputer gives England a 39.1 percent probability of winning in regulation time, while Argentina’s chances of winning are 31.6 percent.
The model estimates a 29.3 percent probability of the game going to extra time.
Who is the referee for England vs Argentina?
- Referee: Ismail Elfath (US)
- Assistant referee 1: Corey Parker (US)
- Assistant referee 2: Kyle Atkins (US)
- Fourth official: Maurizio Mariani (Italy)
- Reserve assistant referee: Daniele Bindoni (Italy)
Where is England vs Argentina being played?
England will play Argentina in the second semifinal at Atlanta Stadium, commonly known as Mercedes-Benz Stadium, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is the last of the seven World Cup matches held at this venue, which has a capacity of 68,239 for the tournament.
The stadium, boasting a retractable roof and a 360-degree halo video display, undoubtedly has the most space-age architecture of the 16 host cities.
What is the weather forecast for Atlanta?
AccuWeather forecasts rain on Wednesday afternoon. “Some sun with a thundery shower,” it says.
England vs Argentina: Head-to-head
Overall, they have met 14 times in competitive and friendly matches.
England lead the head-to-head record with six wins, while Argentina have three. Five games ended in a draw.
England vs Argentina: Past results
- England 3-2 Argentina (International friendly, 2005)
- England 1-0 Argentina (World Cup 2002, group stage)
- England 0-0 Argentina (International friendly, 2000)
- Argentina 2-2 England (4-3 on penalties, World Cup 1998, round of 16)
- England 2-2 Argentina (Challenge Cup, 1991)
The winner of the semifinal between Argentina and England will face Spain in Sunday’s final at New York New Jersey Stadium.
England vs Argentina: Team news
England midfielder Declan Rice, who has been struggling with illness, is a doubt, while veteran player Jordan Henderson is out with a wrist injury.
No injuries reported in the Argentina camp.
England’s predicted lineup
(4-1-3-2): Pickford; Konsa, Stones, Guehi, O’Reilly; Rice, Anderson; Madueke, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane
Argentina’s predicted lineup
(4-1-3-2): Martinez; Molina, Romero, Lisandro, Tagliafico; Paredes; De Paul, Fernandez, Mac Allister; Messi, Alvarez
[Aljazeera]
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