Hobart Hurricanes head coach Jude Coleman has admitted that dropping veteran Sri Lankan opener Chamari Athapaththu was among the hardest decisions of her coaching career, as the defending champions make a bold selection call ahead of a do-or-die Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) 12 against Brisbane Heat at Bellerive Oval on Saturday, 14 November, from 10:10 AM IST.
The Hurricanes enter the 21st match of the tournament winless from five league-stage games, sitting at the bottom of the table with no points. Their finals hopes remain mathematically alive, but only just. A defeat to a Heat side riding a three-match winning streak would leave Hobart with little choice but to reassess its approach for the remainder of the season.
Linsey Smith Replaces Chamari Athapaththu
Chamari Athapaththu, signed late as a replacement for England opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge, has been left off the Hurricanes’ contract list. England left-arm spinner Linsey Smith returns from a quad injury that kept her out of the first five matches, while New Zealand middle-order batter Maddy Green has been retained. Green has made 88 runs at an average of 29 in limited opportunities, and Coleman believes her promise deserves a longer run.
The decision to move on from Chamari Athapaththu follows a difficult tournament for the former Sydney Thunder star, who was Player of the Tournament in WBBL 09 in 2023. In five innings, she has managed just 39 runs at an average of 7.8 and a strike rate of 59. Her most painful outing came against the Adelaide Strikers at Ninja Stadium on Tuesday, when she made 10 from 26 balls before retiring out.
Jude Coleman was candid about the human cost of the call, particularly for an overseas player adjusting to the intensity of the WBBL. “No one’s position is safe in the team, no matter who you are, when you’re not performing,” she said. “But we’re just trying to throw our support around her as best we can, and trying to help her as much as we can.”
The Hurricanes coach acknowledged the weight of expectations that accompany a player of Athapaththu’s stature. “It’s disappointing for us, and it’s hard as an international player. You come over here, and the expectations are so high,” Coleman said. “I feel for her because she’s trying her hardest out there, but it just hasn’t come off, and unfortunately, this is a performance sport, a performance environment and if you’re not performing, your role’s in jeopardy.”
Rachel Trenaman, who has batted at No. 3 this season in place of Natalie Sciver-Brunt, is expected to open alongside Lizelle Lee in the absence of Chamari Athapaththu. Hobart will hope the reshuffle provides the impetus their batting has lacked, with captain Nicola Carey carrying much of the responsibility in the middle order.
Nicola Carey’s Success Hailed
Nicola Carey has been outstanding in her first season as skipper, scoring 161 runs at an average of 53.66 and a strike rate of 128.80 in four innings, including two half-centuries. She has also claimed six wickets. Heather Graham has led the attack with eight wickets at 17.37 and an economy rate of 6.95, placing her joint fourth in the tournament’s wicket-taking charts alongside Sydney Sixers’ Caoimhe Bray.
Coleman praised Carey’s seamless transition into leadership after Elyse Villani retired following Hobart’s maiden WBBL title last season, when the Hurricanes beat Perth Scorchers by eight wickets in the final at Bellerive Oval. “Nic will probably admit herself she had not had leadership aspirations early on in her career, but she’s just taken to it like a duck to water,” Coleman said. “She’s been great around the group, and her performance on the field has been one of the best she’s produced at WBBL level.”
With two of their five defeats coming off the final ball, Hobart know fine margins have defined their campaign. Against Georgia Redmayne’s resurgent Heat, Coleman’s tough calls must now translate into a response, or the defending champions’ title defence may be over before it truly begins.
(Quotes sourced from cricket.com.au)
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