Colombo, April 17 (IANS) Sri Lanka Women’s captain Chamari Athapaththu has underlined the team’s focus on developing power-hitting under new head coach Jamie Siddons as they departed for Bangladesh on Friday for a crucial three-match ODI and T20 series, which will commence on April 20.

Athapaththu stressed that the tour carries significant importance, with valuable points at stake that could help Sri Lanka avoid the uncertainty of going through the qualifying playoffs for the forthcoming ODI World Cup.

“We’ve worked hard on muscling our batting and improving our power-hitting under the new coach in preparation for the World Cup. This tour is very important for us in terms of securing direct qualification rather than having to go through playoffs,” she said in a statement released by Sri Lanka cricket.

Reflecting on the growth of women’s cricket in Sri Lanka during her tenure, Athapaththu expressed pride in the progress made from humble beginnings.

“Today, I’m proud to say that women’s cricket here is on an even keel from the little it was before I took over. Young players have come forward to raise their hands and are the beacon to the game further evolving,” she noted.

She added that the appointment of Australian coach Jamie Siddons marked a significant step in the team’s development.

“The arrival of Jamie Siddons is a huge step for women’s cricket, going to the next level,” Athapaththu said.

The skipper also spoke about the absence of experienced batter Vishmi Gunaratne, who missed the tour due to injury, calling it unfortunate but expressing confidence in her replacement.

Athapaththu further credited Sri Lanka Cricket and former players for their continued support in uplifting the women’s game, along with the efforts of the coaching staff in shaping the team into a competitive unit.

The ODI matches against Bangladesh will be played at Rajshahi on the 20th, 22nd, and 25th of April, and T20Is will be played on the 28th, 30th of April, and 2nd of May at Sylhet.

Athapaththu will captain the team in both formats, with experienced campaigners Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Nilakshika Silva, and Inoka Ranaweera providing stability alongside several emerging players.

–IANS

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