Australia Women Announces 15-Player Squad For T20I Series Against Pakistan

Australia Women announces 15-Player squad for the T20I series against Pakistan and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup to be held in February.

ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa:-

Australia have turned heads in their team selection for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa, with leg-spinner Georgia Wareham being ruled out following a long-term injury.

Also read:- Jasprit Bumrah May Not Only Be Out Of NZ But Also Out Of The Test Series Against AUS

Wareham beat out fellow leg-spinner Amanda-Jade Wellington to secure a place in the team, replacing Nicola Carey in the group that beat India 4-1 in the T20I series late last year.

Wareham has not played a T20 match since rupturing her ACL in October 2021, with her only match practice on return via the Women’s National Cricket League 50-over competition.

Fellow leg-spinner Alana King looks to be the preferred choice in the starting XI, while all-rounder Ash Gardner is the other spin option in the predicted squad.

Healy named despite a calf strain:-

The return of captain Meg Lanning means Phoebe Litchfield has been dropped as the other change in the squad, while Alyssa Healy has been named despite a calf strain that kept her out of several matches on the tour of India.

Healy will miss the upcoming three home ODIs against Pakistan but is on track for both the bilateral T20I series against the same team and the Australian T20 World Cup defense.

National selector Sean Flegler admitted the overall strength of Australia’s player pool made selection difficult.

“Meg and Georgia bring a wealth of experience to the group, which is always important during major tournaments.

A real boost for his returning side:-

“Georgia in particular has suffered with injuries but has shown a lot of resilience and her return is a real boost to the side.”

Nine members of Australia’s victorious 2020 squad will embark on their maiden T20 World Cup tour with the likes of Tahlia McGrath, Darcy Brown, and Heather Graham joining their trophy defence.

Australia began their World Cup defense against New Zealand on 12 February, before group games against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and hosts South Africa.

Read more:-  IND vs SL ODI: Rohit Sharma reveals why Jasprit Bumrah is out

Squad: 1. Meg Lanning (c), 2. Alyssa Healy (VC), 3. D’Arcy Brown, 4. Ashleigh Gardner, 5. Kim Garth, 6. Heather Graham, 7. Grace Harris, 8. Jess Jonassen, 9. Alana King, 10. Tahlia McGrath, 11. Beth Mooney, 12. Ellyse Perry, 13. Megan Schutt, 14. Annabel Sutherland, 15. Georgia Wareham.