Hilal Suhaib
Shashikala Siriwardene was barely 10 then. She enjoyed playing cricket, although Sunday morning classes were not easy. She couldn’t sleep in, she had to get ready for coaching. Riding pillion with her father who dropped her every week, little Siriwardene would invariably doze off.
“You know, he modified his bike, fixing a couple of extra metal frames to ensure I didn’t fall off it. He even made a compartment for me to keep my kit,” recalls the Sri Lankan star and former captain, who retired from international cricket earlier this month, after a brilliant spell — 4 for 16 — that led Sri Lanka to victory against Bangladesh in the Women’s T20World Cup in Australia.