Australia to have consistency in playing XI for New Zealand T20Is: Healy

Australia captain Alyssa Healy said instead of going for experiments, the side will be aiming to have consistency in their playing eleven, for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand, starting at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay on Thursday.

The series against New Zealand begins Australia’s preparation for clinching an unprecedented fourth consecutive Women’s T20 World Cup title when the tournament happens in the UAE from October 3-20. It will also mark Australia’s return to international cricket since their tour of Bangladesh in March, where they won T20I series 3-0.

"I think when you look at our side as a whole, we've been pretty settled in the T20 game for a long period of time. I guess Bangladesh was a good opportunity for us to try a few things that are just in case, what if scenarios, if some of our key players go down, who can fill those roles.

"But I think for us now, having some consistency around our XI leading into a World Cup, you still use all 15 players I find in a World Cup to win it, but everyone knows their roles. I think we're in a good place in that regard.

"We're going to get very different conditions here to what we're going to get in Dubai so it's just about us playing our best XI at every opportunity and putting some things in place, knowing that we do have a World Cup at the back of our mind," said Alyssa to reporters.

Talking of the challenge coming from New Zealand, who are also slotted with Australia in Group A of Women’s T20 World Cup, Alyssa remarked, "We've had some really great battles against New Zealand in the past, and it's nice to actually play a home-and-away series against these guys again.

"I've got no doubt that that spice will pick up again tomorrow night. I think they haven't quite put the performances that they want to together in the last six months, but they're still an incredibly damaging side, and we're fully aware of just what they can bring."

She signed off by saying Australia are tempted to field tearaway pacers Tayla Vlaeminck and Darcie Brown together in the playing eleven, but admitted it would bring selection headaches for the team think-tank.

"Hugely excited to have Darcie and Tay in the same squad at the same time and available to play. It creates some dilemmas for us, but at the same time, it's really exciting. And the thought that, whether we play them at the same time as well, having that option is huge for us. It's great to see Darc back. She's a ball of energy around our group, and I think she's excited to be here, which makes it even better, Alyssa said.