Chamari Athapaththu not retiring anytime soon, says Sri Lanka's new coach Jamie Siddons

The new Sri Lanka women's coach wants the team to start playing an aggressive brand of T20 cricket

Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu has no immediate plans to retire, according to new head coach Jamie Siddons. In her 16th year of international cricket, the 36-year-old remains the rock of the national side and is reportedly energised by the team's new tactical direction.

Athapaththu's future has been a constant topic of debate, particularly following the 2025 ODI World Cup in India, but Siddons' comments suggest her career may extend into the next T20 cycle.

"Chamari, I've had a great chat with her. She is keen to play for a lot longer than one or two more years," Siddons said, adding that if she maintains her current fitness levels and "keeps working on that hard," there is no reason she cannot continue to dominate international cricket.

Athapaththu's commitment comes at a vital time for Sri Lanka as they prepare for the Women's T20 World Cup in England this June. She has been in good form recently, leading her side to an ODI and T20I series win against West Indies.

"In the last two practice matches, she's dominated the games. She can keep going for a lot longer," Siddons said.

While Athapaththu remains the centrepiece of the squad, Siddons said her continued presence will help develop the next generation without the immediate pressure of a leadership vacuum. "That's exactly why I'm here, I think," he said, when asked about planning for life after Athapaththu. "To put together some plans where we can bring players in, teach them how the game is played.

"I've seen two very exciting young fast bowlers who are as good as anyone going around. They'll be up for the fight."

In his first major address since taking over as coach, Siddons issued a clear mandate to his squad: to beat the world's best, the days of "playing it safe" are over.

Siddons, who began his tenure on March 16, has had coaching stints with the Australian men's team and has been involved in several World Cups. "I'm an international cricket coach first and foremost," Siddons said about coaching a women's team. "My knowledge of the explosiveness required to win games - especially in T20s - will pass down to the girls' format with ease. I've worked with the likes of Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr, I know what the standard looks like."

The core of Siddons' tactical overhaul centres on a change in batting philosophy. "We win in singles and twos, but we don't score more boundaries than the opposition, and that's why we lose against the best teams," Siddons said. "We can't be safe. Our aim is to hit the ball harder and find the gaps. We have the hitters at the top, but the middle overs are where we must improve.

"I think from the bowling perspective, we need to have some tricks. We can't just turn up and bowl offspin, we need to have some different types of balls that we can bowl. Every fast bowler needs to have several slower balls so they can show those tricks, so the batters can't just line us up. The best teams in the world hit a lot of boundaries, we need to minimise those boundaries."

His immediate focus will be the upcoming tour of Bangladesh, consisting of three ODIs and three T20Is. Sri Lanka also face a daunting T20 World Cup opener against hosts England, followed by New Zealand and te West Indies.

Siddons expects "flat wickets" in England, making his focus on boundary-hitting and fielding even more vital. "We've got some great outfielders with throwing arms, and for those who don't, we have strategies on where they field to play their role."

Among his more pressing hurdles is the language barrier, but Siddons is confident in his communication via his assistant coaches.

"The girls have the talent; they just need the mindset. They are human beings, they can play just as good cricket as an Amelia Kerr. My job is to free them up, upskill them, and push them to be a bit braver."