Australian Women’s coach Matthew Mott is facing enough difficulty heading into this month’s T20I series against the White Ferns.
In addition to the ICC Women’s T20I rankings, Australia beat New Zealand 2-1 in their latest series in the format in September. That was a series win that came without the services of Ellyse Perry (hamstring) and Tayla Vlaeminck (leg). Both will be available for the opening of T20I next Sunday in Hamilton. While welcome, their return is giving Mott a headache.
If both Perry and Vlaeminck are going to play, at least one of the Australian rulers in the XI will be pushed out. Since XI last played T20I for Australia, Delissa Kimmince is the single player not on this tour.
“It’s going to be very difficult, I think,” said Mott about picking up the XI. ‘in being successful and having players have been out of the team coming back in.
“There’s a lot of competition for those spots and to be honest we’re not just based on that XI, we’ll see how everyone pulls up.”
Vlaeminck was taken out of last year’s T20 World Cup on the eve of the tournament after discovering a leg fracture. She has not played for Australia since then and only returned to competitive action in the country’s Women’s National Cricket League in February.
Perry’s last game was for Australia during the T20 World Cup, where she suffered a hamstring injury ending in the last group game. She has played plenty of domestic cricket since then but missed the Australian series against New Zealand in the summer after re-injuring her right hammer.
“People are at different levels. In Tayla’s case, we don’t look at playing it in every game over here, ”said Mott.
“She’s aware of that and so we have to manage it by coming back to play.
“Ellyse has come off very good cricket and she’s a world-class player so she has to get in there somewhere and it’s about managing a player or two who are very mis lucky who misses out. “