Melbourne, Aug 4 (IANS) Experienced international fast bowlers Darcie Brown and Tayla Vlaeminck will spearhead an Australia A women's squad for the India tour, starting September 12.
The three-week tour comprises three T20s in New Chandigarh, three 50-over fixtures in Mohali and a four-day match at the picturesque Dharamshala ground in a three-week tour.
The tour will mark a long-awaited return to top-flight cricket for Vlaeminck, who has endured a run with injuries, while Brown will feature in the white-ball component of the tour.
Tahlia Wilson will captain Australia A in the 50-over matches in Mohali. Victoria's Nicole Faltum will captain in the T20 matches, while Tasmania's Rachel Trenaman will skipper in the four-day match.
Vlaeminck dislocated her bowling shoulder while fielding on the boundary in the opening over of her first match of the 2024 T20 World Cup. She had lost her Cricket Australia contract in April following the torrid run of shoulder, foot and knee injuries.
Brown was a surprise omission for Australia's T20 World Cup campaign which saw the Sophie Molineux-led side sweep through the tournament undefeated. She was effectively been replaced in the national side by Lucy Hamilton.
National selector Shawn Flegler said, "Both bring invaluable international experience to the group and having them alongside some of our younger players provides a great opportunity for those emerging cricketers to learn from two world-class fast bowlers while continuing their own development."
The squad will be coached by Gavan Twining, stepping in from his role as an assistant with Australia's senior side, with Mick Delaney and Cameron Boyce his assistants.
"This tour presents the players with a fantastic opportunity to gain valuable experience in subcontinental conditions and test themselves against strong international opposition. Exposure to Indian conditions early in a player's career is invaluable and those experiences provide an important foundation before they make the step up to international cricket," Flegler added.
Australia A squad to tour India: Darcie Brown, Maitlan Brown, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Sianna Ginger, Charli Knott, Anika Learoyd, Katie Mack, Lilly Mills, Frankie Nicklin, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Rachel Trenaman, Courtney Webb, Tahlia Wilson, Tayla Vlaeminck
