Australia have turned heads in their squad selection for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa, naming leg-spinner Georgia Wareham after a lengthy injury layoff.
Wareham beat out fellow leg-spinner Amanda-Jade Wellington to a spot in the squad, replacing Nicola Carey in the group that defeated India 4-1 in a T20I series late last year.
Wareham has not played a T20 match since rupturing her ACL in October 2021, with the Women's National Cricket League 50-over competition serving as her only match practice upon her return.
Alana King, another leg-spinner, appears to be the preferred choice for the starting XI, with all-rounder Ash Gardner the other spin option in the predicted team.
Due to the return of skipper Meg Lanning, Phoebe Litchfield has been pushed out as the other change to the squad, while Alyssa Healy has been named despite missing multiple matches on the India tour due to a calf strain.
Healy will miss the three upcoming home ODIs against Pakistan, but he is expected to play in both the bilateral T20I series and Australia's T20 World Cup defence.
Shawn Flegler, Australia's national selector, admitted that the overall strength of Australia's pool of players makes selection difficult.
"It's always tough to narrow a squad down to just 15 players, but we're confident we've picked a well-balanced side that's well placed for the series against Pakistan and ready to challenge for a third consecutive T20 title. Meg and Georgia bring a wealth of experience to the group, which is always crucial during major tournaments," ICC quoted National selector Shawn Flegler as saying.
"Georgia in particular, has had a tough run of injuries, but she's shown a great deal of resilience and her return is a real boost for the side," Flegler added.
Tahlia McGrath, Darcie Brown, and Heather Graham will all be making their T20 World Cup debuts, as will nine members of Australia's victorious 2020 squad.
Grace Harris, who was a late withdrawal from the 2016 squad, also makes her first T20 World Cup squad, while Kim Garth makes her first T20 World Cup appearance in Australian colours after playing for Ireland in the 2016 and 2018 editions.
Australia will begin its World Cup defence on February 12 against New Zealand, before group games against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and hosts South Africa.
Squad: Meg Lanning (c), Alyssa Healy (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland and Georgia Wareham.
( With inputs from ANI )
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