Our girls need to develop the same skills of the top players of world – Women’s coach Siddons
View(s):James Siddons, the new Sri Lanka Women’s Head Coach, who took over the reign from former Sri Lanka fast bowler turned coach, Rumesh Ratnayake, hinted that the country’s most successful female cricketer Chamari Athapaththu may have a good couple of years of cricket left in her, but all depending on her fitness levels and commitment.
Siddons, who took charge of the Sri Lanka Women’s side this March 16, has already had around 15 training sessions with the girls. Before going into his 16th training session under lights at the CCC ground in Colombo, Siddons faced local journalists to whom he explained the reason why he is in Sri Lanka.
Siddons has had around 15 training sessions so far with the women’s team - Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
“I’ve had a great chat with her (Chamari). She is keen to play for a lot longer than one or two more years,” Siddons revealed.
“And I think if she gets her fitness right, keeps working on that part, her game from what I’ve seen in the last two practice matches where she dominated, she can keep going for a lot longer.”
But Siddons was clear when he meant that “Sri Lanka needs to play and start to develop a team and a style of play that can beat the best in the world”. The former South Australia middle-order batsman, who at one time was the leading run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield and involved in coaching stints with Australia and Bangladesh men’s teams and at Cricket Australia’s Centre of Excellence, made his observations following the recent training sessions since landing in Sri Lanka.
Our girls need to develop the same skills of the top players of world today. They are human beings, they can play just as good as any top player” - James Siddons
“I’ve been involved in about seven World Cups. So my knowledge of cricket will pass down to the girls’ format with ease I think, knowledge of how to play the game in a World Cup match in T20s and One Day cricket, the explosiveness required from girls as well as men, to win games,” Siddons said, laying his focus on the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 to be held in England and Wales from June 12 to July 5.
Prior to that Sri Lanka women will have an outing against Bangladesh women in a series of three games each in One Dayers and T20Is from April 20 to May 2. This will Siddons’ only opportunity to see his group of players in action besides the numerous training sessions held and intra-squad practice games played so far.
“The T20 World Cup is our major objective, to adopt a style of play that can beat the best in the world, or one of the best teams in the world, on their home ground or on their home soil. That’s going to be a big challenge and then, first and foremost, we’ve got to get through Bangladesh. We’ll be putting some players on the field that we think can perform in that format against Bangladesh and then, hopefully, they’ll be the ones that will take us forward to the World Cup”.
Siddons’ impression on the Sri Lanka women has been overall positive since his arrival, and was highly optimistic about the future headway. To achieve this, the 61-year-old is of the view that Sri Lanka women should take a totally different approach.
“Our girls need to develop the same skills of the top players of world today. They are human beings, they can play just as good as any top player,” stressed Siddons, indicating of a freer and positive style of play.
“These girls got the skills, they just need the right mindset. My thoughts are that if I free them up, give them a bit more up-skilling, give them that freedom, we can do just as many good things as they can do.
So we’ve got to play a style of play that will beat the best teams in the world.”
Following their tour to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka women will head to England for the 12-team world event, in which they are grouped alongside hosts England, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland and West Indies. Sri Lanka will face England in the opening game of the T20 World Cup on June 12, followed by New Zealand on June 16 and West Indies on June 21. On June 23, Sri Lanka lasses will meet Ireland before their final group game on June 26 against Scotland.
“Again, I’ll keep saying it, we need to keep playing games that will beat the world’s best – Australia, New Zealand, England and India. They’re the best teams in the world at the moment. We need to keep playing a style of play that will compete with them and beat them. To do that, we need to change a few little things and play really good cricket and play to the best of our abilities. The girls are willing. They just need to be pushed along to be a bit braver.”