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Most Australian cricket players consider two experiences in international cricket to be the most important: participating in an Ashes series and touring the subcontinent. The women’s Australian team is currently focusing on the latter as they get ready to play three ODIs and T20s against Bangladesh. Playing in a country with unique conditions and pitches is always a highly valued opportunity.

The series also narrates the narrative of two contrasting teams. In the current year of 2024, Australia has participated in 11 games – four ODIs, six T20s, and one Test. On the other hand, Bangladesh has not competed in any matches so far this year. Their most recent game was in December when they toured South Africa and managed to win one T20 and one ODI in the six games they played. Prior to that, they achieved Victory in both the T20 and ODI series against Pakistan in October. Their team displays talent and determination, but their lack of consistent match practice is noticeably different from that of the Australian team.

In addition to the uneven distribution of international matches played, 10 members of Australia’s team of 14 have recently come from participating in the Women’s Premier League in India. Surprisingly, no Bangladeshi players were included in this competition, even though Marufa Akter and Rabeya Khan were included in the draft. Similarly, there were no Bangladeshi players in the Women’s Big Bash League or The Hundred in 2023, but three players did participate in the FairBreak Invitational in Hong Kong in April of that year.

It’s a difficult challenge to face a well-versed Australian team with a strong track record of winning. The roster for this tour is mostly unchanged from the one that achieved victory in the home series against South Africa, with the exception of Jess Jonassen being left off the team and Tayla Vlaeminck returning from injury. Unfortunately, Darcie Brown will not be playing in the series after injuring her foot. None of the players on this squad will be making their debut for Australia during this tour, as all 14 members are experienced at the international level.

Looking at it from another viewpoint, this could be seen as a significant display of esteem towards their opponents. Instead of sending a young and unseasoned team while giving their top players a break, Australia has chosen to approach this series with the same seriousness as they would an Ashes competition, even though Bangladesh is currently ranked seventh in the world for ODIs and ninth for T20s. In terms of rankings, Australia holds a comfortable lead at the top of both tables – with a gap of more than 500 points over the second-place team in T20s and over 1,000 points in ODIs.

However, despite outstanding performances from inexperienced players in the WBBL and Women’s National Cricket League, it should be considered why these players were not given the chance to tour the subcontinent and gain valuable international experience in a series tailored for such an opportunity. For instance, Sophie Day excelled in the WBBL, achieving 27 wickets with an average of 12.48, while Katie Mack scored 471 runs with an average of 47.1 in the WNCL. Even in the three-day “Gold v Green match”, Georgia Voll achieved an unbeaten 200 and also had a WNCL average of 41.72 with 459 runs scored.

In addition to these unrestricted athletes, there is a large group of others who have previously represented Australia but are currently not favored. Nicola Carey was hailed as the standout player in the Tasmania Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL) final, scoring 111 runs and taking a wicket. She also led the batting rankings for the competition with over 100 runs more than her closest rival. Meanwhile, Amanda-Jade Wellington and Hannah Darlington were among the top performers in terms of wickets taken in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL).

Shelley Nitschke, the coach of Australia, stated that the experienced team is necessary due to the approaching T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.

“I believe considering uncapped players is always a consideration for us and we are aware of the importance of succession planning,” she stated. “However, I believe we currently have a good balance and we must also keep in mind the upcoming white ball World Cup.”

I believe that having players such as Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, and Sophie Molineux, who are all in the early stages of their careers, is important. We want to ensure that these players are given the necessary opportunities to shine.

With six matches over the next two weeks, it will be fascinating to see how Bangladesh approach their much more experienced opponents and how Australia respond to the conditions as they prepare for September’s World Cup. While on the surface it may seem simply like a series with a foregone conclusion, there are many stories ready to unfold that will make for compelling viewing.

Source: theguardian.com