Women’s T20 World Cup 2020: Australia announce 15-member squad for the tournament

The next edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup is just a month away and gradually the sides are starting to name their squads for the marquee quadrennial event. Recently, BCCI announced India’s squad for the tournament and now Australia, the hosts, too have named their line-up. Meg Lanning will continue to lead the side in the event where the Aussies will look to defend their title.

The strong 15-member squad includes the usual suspects in Beth Mooney, Elysse Perry, Alyssa Healy, Megan Schutt but there is one surprise addition in the form of teenage all-rounder Anabel Sutherland. She had impressed many with her skills in the domestic competition and even Lanning had high praises for her.

Sutherland, who graduated from high school last year, missed out on playing a few matches for the Melbourne Stars in the WBBL due to her exams but the fast bowling all-rounder returned for the series against India A where she claimed 9 wickets across six games and also scored a half-century.

Speaking on her selection, National selector Shawn Flegler said that Sutherland had progressed significantly over the past few months. “Anyone who has seen her play will know how special a talent she is, and we know that if called upon she’ll be able to play a variety of roles in the side. This will be another terrific experience for someone who we see as the future of Australian Cricket.

“Based on how she performed in this series and in the WBBL, I don’t think she’s far off,” Flegler told cricket.com.au at the end of that ‘A’ series last month. Flegler added, “It’s always tempting to have someone new in a World Cup because the opposition won’t know much about them, and we always try and say it doesn’t matter how old you are, if you’re good enough you should be playing’

Sophie Molineux returns

Apart from Sutherland, Victorian Sophie Molineux is set to make her return to the national side after having walked away from the game to counter her mental health issues in October. The Aussie 15-member group boasts of 13 players that won the championship in the Caribbean back in 2018 with only Sutherland and Erin Burns as the new additions. Among those who didn’t make the cut were Heather Graham and Elysse Villani, who was axed from the side in September.

Australia squad for the tri-series and the T20 World Cup

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.