Sri Lanka Cricket has clarified that women’s national head coach Jamie Siddons has not resigned from his position and is currently on leave due to a personal matter, with former head coach Rumesh Ratnayake stepping in temporarily to oversee the team.
The clarification came from Sri Lanka Cricket Chief Executive Officer Ashley de Silva after reports emerged suggesting Siddons had ended his tenure midway through his one year contract.
De Silva said the Australian coach is presently overseas attending to a personal issue and is expected to return to his role once that matter has been resolved. The governing body has therefore stressed that the current arrangement should not be viewed as a permanent coaching change.
Ratnayake will take charge of the women’s team on an interim basis during Siddons’ absence, providing Sri Lanka with an experienced and familiar figure while the regular head coach remains unavailable.
The move is designed to maintain continuity within the national setup rather than begin another major restructuring of the coaching staff.
Siddons only took over the position earlier this year.
Sri Lanka Cricket officially appointed the former Australian cricketer in March, with his one year contract taking effect from March 16, 2026. He replaced Ratnayake, who had previously been in charge of the women’s national side.
His appointment was significant because Siddons became the first foreign coach to take charge of the Sri Lanka women’s national team.
He arrived with extensive coaching experience, including a previous spell as head coach of the Bangladesh men’s national team between 2007 and 2011.
Siddons has also led South Australia’s Redbacks and New Zealand’s Wellington Firebirds during a coaching career spanning several major domestic and international environments.
When he took the Sri Lanka job, his immediate responsibility was to prepare the team for the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup in England.
His first assignment came during the tour of Bangladesh in April and May, before the squad turned its attention towards the global tournament.
Siddons also became involved in wider discussions surrounding the future direction of women’s cricket in Sri Lanka.
In June, he attended a meeting involving contracted women’s players and the Cricket Transformation Committee alongside Ashley de Silva and several prominent former Sri Lanka players and administrators.
The discussions focused on providing greater opportunities and support for the women’s game and creating a stronger pathway for the national, ‘A’ and Under 19 teams.
His temporary absence therefore comes at an important stage for Sri Lanka’s women’s programme.
The national side has made considerable progress in recent years, highlighted by its historic Women’s Asia Cup triumph in 2024 and several strong bilateral performances.
That improvement has created greater expectations around the team and increased the importance of stability within the coaching structure.
Ratnayake’s temporary return should help provide that stability.
He is already familiar with many of the players after previously serving as head coach and overseeing an important period in the team’s development.
Under his earlier tenure, Sri Lanka became increasingly competitive against leading international opposition and recorded several significant results, including the landmark Asia Cup title.
That familiarity means the players are unlikely to face a major adjustment while Siddons is away.
Instead, the interim arrangement should allow the team to continue preparing for its upcoming commitments using a coach who already understands the group and the wider structure of Sri Lanka women’s cricket.
Some reports initially claimed Siddons had permanently stepped down for personal reasons and that Ratnayake had been reappointed as his replacement.
However, Sri Lanka Cricket’s subsequent clarification provides a different picture.
According to de Silva, Siddons remains the national women’s head coach and is expected to resume his duties after completing his period of leave.
That distinction is important because Siddons’ contract still has several months remaining.
His one-year term is scheduled to run from March 2026 into March 2027, meaning there remains considerable time for him to continue working with the team if he returns as planned.
For Sri Lanka Cricket, the immediate priority will be ensuring that the temporary coaching transition does not disrupt preparations or player development.
Women’s cricket in the country has built valuable momentum in recent seasons, and maintaining consistency will be particularly important as Sri Lanka attempts to establish itself more regularly among the leading international sides.
The team has already demonstrated that it can challenge stronger nations, but the next stage is turning those isolated successes into sustained results.
That requires continuity in coaching, player development and selection.
Siddons was appointed partly because of his long experience in developing players and improving batting structures, while Ratnayake’s familiarity with the squad provides a useful bridge during the Australian’s absence.
The situation also highlights the value of having experienced coaches within Sri Lanka Cricket who can step into senior roles when required.
Rather than making an emergency external appointment, the board has been able to turn to someone who already knows the team and its recent history.
For the players, the message from Sri Lanka Cricket is therefore straightforward.
There has been no permanent change in leadership.
Siddons remains the head coach, while Ratnayake will temporarily manage the side until his return.
With speculation over Siddons’ future now addressed, Sri Lanka Women can focus on their upcoming cricket under the experienced guidance of Rumesh Ratnayake, while the team awaits the return of its Australian head coach following his period of personal leave.
