Chamari Athapaththu in WBBL 2026 (Source: @WBBL/X)
Chamari Athapaththu, widely regarded as one of the best all-rounders in the world of women’s cricket, faced shocking embarrassment during the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) 2026, which is currently underway.
Hobart Hurricanes decided to drop the Sri Lankan superstar in the middle of the competition only because she had a poor run of form in the competition.
Linsey Smith Replaces Chamari Athapaththu In Hobart Hurricanes' WBBL 2026 Squad
In Athapaththu's place, Hobart brought in Linsey Smith to the squad for the remainder of the season. Athapaththu came into Hobart squad for WBBL 2026 as a late replacement for Danni Wyatt-Hodge. However, she struggled to get going, making only 39 runs across five innings at a strike rate of 59.09.
To make matters worse, Chamari Athapaththu was retired out during Hobart’s WBBL 2026 match against Adelaide Strikers at Ninja Stadium on Tuesday. There, she could only manage to score 10 runs off 26 balls before facing the humiliation.
"It was a tough innings, and to be honest, it was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make as a coach," Hurricanes coach Jude Coleman said on Friday on Athapaththu's retired out call.
Hobart, led by no other than Meg Lanning, have already five out of all five matches in WBBL 2026. Even though Lanning has been going strong, leading the run-scorers list with 254 runs, the others failed to provide the support she required.
As a result, they languish on the bottom of the points table.
Hobart Still Have Slim Hopes For WBBL Play-Off Chances
Nevertheless, Hobart can still qualify for WBBL 2026 play-offs. They have very little chance to pull off a miraculous comeback, and thus, they made a bold move of axing Athapaththu in the middle of the season.
"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," Jude Coleman added.
"It was terribly difficult (telling her), the worst part of the job. Everybody wants to perform their best, and it's never fun when you're not. But she was a true professional and took it really well, but it was a really difficult conversation to have," she concluded.
Hobart will next play Brisbane Heat in the WBBL 2026 at Bellerive Oval.
