Australia Women have opted to exclude experienced spinner Jess Jonassen and have included pacer Tayla Vlaeminck in their 15-member squad for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled to take place in the UAE in October.
Heather Graham will also join the squad for the preceding T20I series against New Zealand at home but will not travel for the World Cup.
Squad:
| Player Name |
|---|
| Alyssa Healy (Captain) |
| Darcie Brown |
| Ash Gardner |
| Kim Garth |
| Grace Harris |
| Alana King |
| Phoebe Litchfield |
| Tahlia McGrath (Vice-Captain) |
| Sophie Molineux |
| Beth Mooney |
| Ellyse Perry |
| Megan Schutt |
| Annabel Sutherland |
| Georgia Wareham |
| Tayla Vlaeminck |
Australia have opted for consistency and stability, selecting the same squad that featured in their last T20I assignment against Bangladesh in March-April.
Originally slated to host the World Cup, Bangladesh was forced to relinquish hosting duties due to political unrest, leading the ICC to relocate the tournament to the UAE.
“This is the first time in a long while we’ve had our entire contract list available for selection ahead of a World Cup, resulting in a stable and balanced squad,” said Shawn Flegler, Cricket Australia’s Head of Performance (Women’s Cricket) and National Selector.
“Phoebe Litchfield is a real X-factor for us, and she’ll be well supported by an experienced group at her first World Cup,” Flegler added.
“The pace duo of Tayla Vlaeminck and Darcie Brown is something we’ve been eager to unleash for some time and provides us with a real point of difference.”
Vlaeminck made her comeback for Australia during the T20I leg of the Bangladesh tour, following a lengthy absence due to a stress injury before the 2022 ODI World Cup.
After an 18-month hiatus, Vlaeminck also dealt with a shoulder injury leading up to WBBL 2023.
Jonassen, meanwhile, has not featured for Australia in the T20 format since the 2023 home series against the West Indies, with her last international appearance being the one-off Test against India at Wankhede at the end of the year.
However, she enjoyed a successful WBBL 2023 campaign, finishing as Brisbane Heat’s leading wicket-taker with 24 scalps, and second overall.
She was also the joint third-highest wicket-taker in WPL 2024, with 11 scalps.
“Jess Jonassen is again unlucky to miss out, but we’ve been impressed with her resilience and will continue to monitor her form ahead of the home summer,” Flegler noted.
A successful title defense in the UAE would make Australia the first team, men’s or women’s, to secure four consecutive T20 World Cup titles.
Leave a Reply