Australia cricket team captain Meg Lanning has labelled Tayla Vlaeminck’s injury as a “massive” loss after the fast bowler was ruled out of...
Australia cricket team captain Meg Lanning has labelled Tayla Vlaeminck’s injury as a “massive” loss after the fast bowler was ruled out of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020.
Vlaeminck’s out-and-out pace has formed a major part of Australia’s arsenal since her debut against India in 2018, the side she was due to play in Friday’s tournament opener.
But a stress injury in her right foot means the 21-year-old misses out on the entire competition in front of her home support.
Off-spinner Molly Strano takes her place in the squad but, as Lanning herself knows, there’s no direct replacement for Vlaeminck’s key weapon.
“It’s a massive loss and she is obviously pretty shattered with the timing of it,” said Lanning. “It was a little bit of a flat day on Wednesday finding out the news. She was set for a big role for us.
“I’m pretty devastated for her. I guess it provides an opportunity for Molly to come in and play a role for us. Unfortunately for Tay she won’t get to compete, which is pretty devastating for her.
“There’s no real like-for-like replacement for Tay, no one does what she does. Molly has bowled well in the powerplay in the past and can bowl at any time through the...
