Australia has announced a settled and experienced 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup. Meg Lanning will captain the side with Rachael Haynes as vice-captain. Debutant 18-year-old Sutherland has been termed a surprise inclusion to the team. Australia is a four-time champion of the World T20 tournament and will be looking to retain the trophy for the fifth time on home soil.
Squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (VC), Erin Burns, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy (wk), Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham.
Meg Lanning
Captain Meg successfully led Australia to the World T20 title last time in the Carribean and she will be looking to defend the title at home this time. In 95 T20I matches, Meg has scored 2581 runs at an average of 36.85 with 2 hundred and 13 fifties to her name. She is currently placed 2nd in ICC T20 Batting rankings for women.
Alyssa Healy
The wicket-keeper batswoman bats with a strike rate of over 130 in T20s and is one of the most destructive openers in this format. She has been in outstanding form lately scoring 1819 runs in 103 games. With a century and 9 half-centuries to her name, Alyssa Healy remains a prolific batter to watch out for.
Ellyse Perry
Ellyse Perry remains one of the greatest all-rounders who will ever grace women’s cricket. Be it batting or bowling, she never disappoints, producing top-notch performances every time. In 113 games, she has scored 1168 runs at an average of 30.73 whilst also picking up 111 wickets; making her one of the most celebrated all-rounders of the game. She was named as the ICC Cricketer of the year in 2019. Calling her the backbone of the Australian lineup wouldn’t be an understatement.
Rachael Haynes
Deputy to Meg Lanning, the left-handed batter has featured in 58 T20s for her country. A strike rate of 116.52 and a healthy average of 26.80 pips her vital role in the middle order.
Beth Mooney
Stylish wicketkeeper batter Beth Mooney has represented Australia in 43 T20s. Her consistent performances top the order have literally nailed her position in the side. The prolific left-hander bats with a strike rate of 123 and have two hundred to her name in the shortest format of the game.
Ashleigh Gardner
An off-spinner with the ability to hit the ball hard, Ashleigh Gardner is a complete package of a cricketer. Also, a star performer in the Women’s Big Bash League for Sydney Sixers, she is tremendously important to the Australian limited-overs setup.
Jessica Jonassen
Left-arm spinner Jessica Jonassen is one of the vital cogs in the Australian bowling attack. Having taken more than 150 wickets across the three formats, she showed glimpses of her all-round talents in 2019’s WBBL. She took 22 wickets, seeding second on the bowling charts while making 419 runs, including a crucial 33 in the final.
Megan Schutt
Currently ranked the no.1 in ICC T20 bowler rankings, her performances in the international arena can be termed nothing short of phenomenal. With 73 wickets in 58 T20s, consistent Schutt shall be leading the pace attack for her team.
Annabel Sutherland
18-year-old all-rounder Annabel Sutherland has been a surprise inclusion to the squad and could possibly be heading towards a World Cup debut. She was drafted into the side after impressing in the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL). She captured the selectors’ attention with figures of 3/41 and scores of 43 and 67 in her recent games for Victoria.
Erin Burns
The 31-year-old turned late onto the international scene and made her debut for Australia in September 2019. The off-spinner who is also quite comfortable with the bat has churned out impressive performances in the WBBL, playing for Sidney Sixers
Nicola Carey
Nicola Carey is a medium pacer with the ability to bat well in the middle overs. Having made her international debut in 2018, Carey has featured in 4 T20Is for Australia. She has been stupendous in the WBBL tournament since the beginning of times. With 75 wickets to her name, she sits fourth in the list of highest wicket-takers.
Georgia Wareham
In 22 T20s, the leg spinner has conceded runs at an economy of 5.85 and picked up 23 crucial wickets. In 2018, ICC named Wareham as one of the breakout players in the women’s game.
Tayla Vlaeminck
With 7 wickets in 7 games at an economy of 5.28, the pacer has the potential to emerge as one of the quickest bowlers in the women’s game. She has been christened ‘Bendigo Bullet’ as a testimony to the lethal pace she generates in her bowling.
Delissa Kimmince
The 30-year-old seamer is an integral part of Meg Lanning’s’ unit with her stock deliveries and slower ones. Kimmince captains Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League.
Sophie Molineux
The left-arm spinner has taken 16 wickets in 17 T20s. She is returning back to the national team after a brief sabbatical, due to mental health issues picked up during the previous season of WBBL.
