Pacer Darcie Brown has been excluded from Australia’s T20 World Cup squad, with the team choosing the inexperienced left-arm quick Lucy Hamilton instead. The 15-player squad for the tournament, commencing on June 12 in England, is led by captain Sophie Molineux, supported by deputies Ashleigh Gardner and Tahlia McGrath. Notable players in the squad include Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, and Ash Gardner.
Lucy Hamilton, who led Australia in the previous ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, is among the seven pace options in the squad, joining key players like Megan Schutt, Kim Garth, Annabel Sutherland, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, and Nicola Carey. Grace Harris, known for her off-spin bowling, returns to the international scene after missing the T20I squad’s Caribbean tour in March, along with Annabel Sutherland who was rested for the same tour.
Ellyse Perry, a consistent presence in the tournament since 2009, is on the brink of setting a record as the first player to participate in 50 Women’s T20 World Cup matches. Nicola Carey is set to make her comeback to the T20 World Cup after her last appearance in 2020, following a three-year absence from the national team. Alana King, who was not part of the T20I squad against India in February, has been included after an impressive performance in the Caribbean.
The squad also features keeper-batter Tahlia Wilson as the traveling reserve. Although she debuted in ODI against the West Indies in March, she is yet to play a T20I match. Australia is placed in Group 1 of the T20 World Cup, alongside South Africa, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands. The team will kick off their campaign against South Africa on June 13 at Old Trafford in Manchester.
