Cricket Australia announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming 2023 Women’s Ashes.
The Australian and English multi-format series is set to start on June 22 in Nottingham. Australia’s tour to England features one Test, three Twenty 20 Internationals (T20Is), and as many ODIs.
Teenager Phoebe Litchfield was asked to join the Ashes tour for the first time. The 19-year-old batter has scored back-to-back fifties in her first two ODIs against Pakistan in January this year. She is on the team instead of Heather Graham, who can do everything. Graham has been put on the Australian A team and will tour England with the Ashes team.
After being named to Australia’s Ashes Test squad, all-rounder Kim Garth is also likely to play for the first time in the longest form of the game. The 26-year-old cricketer recently participated in the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) for the Gujarat Giants women. Throughout the tournament, she did a great job. She took 11 wickets in seven games, including a remarkable five-wicket haul in the first game.
Meanwhile, Australia will be captained by Meg Lanning, who led the side to another T20 World Cup in South Africa in February. She also led the Delhi Capitals women to the inaugural WPL final. Even though she lost the final to Mumbai Indians Women, the 31-year-old batter finished her WPL season with 345 runs, which was the most of any player.
Shawn Flegler, a member of the committee that picks the Australian cricket team, said that the team picked is similar to the one that won the T20 World Cup. He also said that the board sees Litchfield as a long-term player for the side.
“After the team did well at the T20 World Cup, the attention is now on the exciting challenge of keeping the Ashes away from home. Over the past few years, we’ve been lucky to have a consistent team in all formats. As a result, we chose a group of players that is similar to the one that won the T20 World Cup in February. “In the last year, Phoebe Litchfield has taken her game to the next level. We see her as a long-term player for Australia, so it’s nice to reward her progress by putting her in an Ashes squad,” Shawn Flegler was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
Cricket Australia team includes captain Meg Lanning, Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, and Georgia Wareham.
Australia A squad: Maitlan Brown, Lauren Cheatle, Maddy Darke, Heather Graham, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Charli Knott, Kate Peterson, Courtney Sippel, Tayla Vlaeminck, Courtney Webb, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Tahlia Wilson