“Even though I was training for it when I heard it had actually happened, I had to take a moment just to sit back. I couldn’t really believe it,” Australia’s pace-bowling sensation Tayla Vlaeminck said about her surreal experience of returning to the 2024 T20 World Cup squad.
The journey of the young 25-year-old pace-bowling sensation from Australia, Tayla Vlaeminck has been nothing short of inspiring. She has had multiple injury setbacks that have ruled her out of action for a really long period of time.
Tayla is regarded as one of the fastest bowlers in the world, especially amongst the active crop of pacers in the women’s game. Her ability to steam in and consistently fire bullets at the batters, tends to send shivers in the opposition camp. She is one of those bowlers who can consistently clock the speeds in excess of 120 kph. She was also a part of Australia’s T20 World Cup winning squad in 2018. However, she just played one match in the tournament.
She was in and out of the Australian set-up in 2020, after playing for a couple of years since making her international debut on 22nd October 2018 in an ODI against Pakistan. She briefly came back into the side before yet another injury in 2022, a stress fracture in her navicular bone (foot) forced her to be on the sidelines for an extended period. She had an impressive outing in the Tri-series involving India, and England where Australia went on to clinch the Tri-series in 2020. She rattled the opposition batters with her pace as she picked up seven wickets in just three innings with an impressive average of just 9 and an exceptional strike rate of just 10.28.
She was all set to lead the Australian pace attack in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2020. Just then, yet another roadblock came her way as she was diagnosed with a stress fracture in her right foot, and as a result, she had to stay away from all the action on the field for a year. She made an impressive return to the Australian set-up on their white-ball tour to Bangladesh in March, earlier this year. She picked up four wickets in a couple of innings with the ball in the T20I series against Bangladesh. She returned with her career-best figures (4-0-12-3) with the ball on 4th April 2024 in the 3rd T20I.
Australia announced their squad on 26th August 2024, for the upcoming 9th edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. The squad sees the return of the 25-year-old young speedster from Bendigo, Victoria, Tayla Vlaeminck after six years. It will be her 2nd T20 World Cup appearance for Australia, the first one being the 2018, World Cup-winning campaign. “Even though I was training for it when I heard it had actually happened, I had to take a moment just to sit back. I couldn’t really believe it,” Tayla Vlaeminck said about her surreal experience of returning to Australia’s World Cup squad after all her injury setbacks.
The Australians have named a very strong squad with almost every member being capable of contributing with the bat as well as chipping in a few overs with the ball. The squad however seems to be pace-heavy, but there also are spinners – Georgia Wareham, Sophie Molineux, and Grace Harris to pair up alongside the likes of Ashleigh Gardner and Alana King. “Knowing Sophie Molineux and Georgia Wareham are going to the World Cup with me makes it even more special. We were housemates and all new to the team when we won in 2018 together. To finally be able to go to another World Cup with two of my best friends, it’s going to be really cool,” Tayla Vlaeminck said about the World Cup reunion with her besties.
Australia led by skipper Alyssa Healy will host New Zealand led by skipper Sophie Devine for a three-match T20I series from 19th to 24th September 2024. The series will be an ideal lead-up for the Trans-Tasman rivals before heading to the United Arab Emirates for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
The tournament is now set to be hosted by the United Arab Emirates which was earlier set to take place in Bangladesh. However, due to the social and political turmoil, the tournament has now moved out of the country. Bangladesh will still have the hosting rights along with the UAE. The upcoming 9th edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is set to commence on 3rd October 2024 and conclude on 20th October 2024.
All the matches of the tournament will be played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium and the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The Alyssa Healy-led side is placed in Group A alongside India, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. They will commence their World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka led by skipper Chamari Athapaththu at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the 6th match of the tournament on 5th October 2024 from 7:30 PM IST.
(Quotes sourced from Cricket Australia)