Australia have named a 17-player squad to take on New Zealand in the upcoming ODI and T20I rounds.
Meg Lanning’s team is full speed, with Tayla Vlaeminck ready to return to international cricket, and starting on the cards for teenage quicks Darcie Brown and Hannah Darlington.
Vlaeminck has not played an international match in over 12 months. The fast player lost the T20 World Cup trophy in Australia last year after finding a weight loss in his right leg on the eve of the tournament.
The 22-year-old returned to competitive action earlier this month for Victoria in the Australian National Women’s Cricket League (WNCL) domestic tournament.
Ellyse Perry will also return to the squad after missing the last series in Australia with a leg injury.
Ellyse Perry did not play for Australia from last year’s T20 World Cup.
“She has been working her way back to full health in the WNCL with Victoria and we have already seen some terrible times from her,” national elector Shawn Flegler said of Vlaeminck’s return.
“Similarly, Ellyse Perry has been making strong progress on her return from a leg injury and we look forward to taking part in this series after she failed. against New Zealand in September and October. ”
The tour starts with three T20Is, starting on March 28, before ending with three ODIs, starting on April 4.
Australians will be out and about to continue to lead in both forms. They won their last T20I series against New Zealand in September, and have not lost a T20I series in more than four years.
They’ve been just as big in 50-over cricket, and in New Zealand they’ll have a chance to set a new record for the later ODI winners.
Lanning’s team is currently tied up alongside Ricky Ponting in 2003 for the biggest victories that followed. Ponting’s outfit earned 21 consecutive ODIs.
Squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes, Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Belinda Vakarewa, Tayla Vlaemin , Georgia Wareham