CA names Australia Women squad for the upcoming Commonwealth Games 2022

Cricket Australia (CA), on Friday, announced the Australia Women squad for the upcoming inaugural edition of Commonwealth Games Women’s Cricket Competition 2022, starting July 29 in Birmingham.

Australia have gone with an unchanged squad and the same group that won the ODI World Cup in New Zealand in April earlier this year. The only change is their former head coach Matthew Mott, who recently accepted a position as England men’s white-ball coach. Shelley Nitschke will act as the interim women’s head coach at the global event.

The Meg Lanning-led Australia are grouped with India, Pakistan and Barbados in Group A. Similarly, England, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka are placed in Group B. The top two teams from the pools will progress to the semi-finals.

Georgia Wareham (ACL injury), Sophie Molineux and Tayla Vlaeminck (foot injury) have still not recovered from their respective injuries and will miss the Commonwealth Games. However, star all-rounder Ellyse Perry is likely to play only as a pure batter like she did in the World Cup final.

“Her availability to bowl will be dependent on her progress in the coming weeks and on the medical advice. Georgia had an ACL reconstruction in February and is progressing well in the early stages of her rehab. She’s working towards a return to play in early 2023. Tayla is also progressing well in her rehab after sustaining a navicular stress fracture prior to the Ashes in January,” said team physiotherapist Kate Beerworth as quoted by Cricket.com.au.

Notably, Cricket has featured just once before at the Commonwealth Games, when a men’s 50-over tournament was held as part of the Kuala Lumpur Games in 1998, where Steve Waugh-led Australia had won the silver.

Here is Australia Women’s Squad for Commonwealth Games 2022:

Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington