Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign has been derailed by injuries to captain Alyssa Healy and bowler Tayla Vlaeminck during the team’s comprehensive victory over Pakistan in Dubai.
The reigning champions defeated Pakistan by nine wickets in a one-sided contest at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday morning AEST, chasing the modest 83-run target with 54 balls to spare.
Spinner Ash Gardner, later named player of the match, claimed four wickets to help roll Pakistan for 82 in 19.5 overs, with fellow all-rounders Annabel Sutherland and Georgia Wareham each snaring two scalps.
Australia only needed 11 overs to reel in the target, but the run chase was marred by a foot injury to Healy, who retired hurt on 37.
In the tenth over of Australia’s innings, with 14 runs required for victory, the 34-year-old limped off the field after pulling up sore while running between the wickets. Cricket Australia later confirmed Healy had sustained an acute right foot injury.
“Once we have more information based on her assessment and scans tomorrow, her availability for the remainder of the tournament will be clearer,” CA said in a statement.
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Earlier, Vlaeminck dislocated her right shoulder while attempting to prevent a boundary in the first over of the match. The 25-year-old, playing her first T20 World Cup match in six years, left the field clutching at her arm, taking no further part in the contest.
“Her shoulder is now relocated and the extent of the injury will be known following further assessment over the coming days,” CA said.
Vlaeminck, who has battled injury throughout her career, missed Australia’s three previous World Cup campaigns due to a foot stress fracture. The Victorian bowler, who has undergone two ACL reconstructions, was also sidelined for the start of the 2023/24 season after dislocating her left shoulder in England last year.
“Heartbroken for her, she’s had a really unlucky run of injuries and has done some really hard rehab so we’ll rally around her and see what comes in the next few days,” Australian teammate Tahlia McGrath said after the match.
“We all love Tayla. It was pretty hard to watch to be honest it was really hard … so it was just (a case of) come together as a group and focus on the job at hand and we’ll get around her after the game. It’s really important in that moment just to refocus and regroup.”
Pending the severity of Vlaeminck’s injury, her absence would open the door for South Australian quick Darcie Brown to return to the starting XI.
However, replacing Healy is more complex. If she were unavailable for the remainder of the tournament, Australia would not only lose a captain, but also a wicketkeeper and an opening batter.
“It’s obviously horrible seeing one of your mates go down and knowing Tayla’s road to get back to here,” Gardner said during the post-match press conference.
“She’s someone that probably works harder than anyone else I know, so to see someone like that go down with another injury, we all really felt for her.
“There were people that were obviously emotional and things like that and I think that just shows the care that we have for our teammates and especially Tayla. She’s worked so hard to get back here and she’s earned it, so to see her go down like that, we had to regroup really quickly.
“That’s the nature of sport, unlucky things happen and then you’ve just got to get on with it and then wait until after the game to make sure that Tay was okay. She’s in good spirits which is nice to see.”
Tahlia McGrath, who has led Australia once in the T20 format, is the team’s designated vice-captain, while Beth Mooney can don the gloves in Healy’s absence if required. However, the Queenslander has only kept in four of her 104 T20Is.
Meanwhile, Brisbane Heat superstar Grace Harris looms as the most likely candidate to open the batting alongside Mooney if a replacement is needed.
Australia, undefeated in the tournament after three matches, will next face India at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Monday, with the first ball scheduled for 1am AEDT. Victory over the Indians, or even a narrow loss, would be enough for the defending champions to qualify for the semi-finals.
Earlier in the match, Australian bowler Megan Schutt claimed her 144th T20I wicket to become the format’s leading wicket-taker, surpassing Pakistan veteran Nida Dar,
Most wickets in women’s T20Is
144 — Megan Schutt (AUS)
143 — Nida Dar (PAK)
133 — Deepti Sharma (IND)
128 — Sophie Ecclestone (ENG)
126 — Ellyse Perry (AUS)
