Tahlia McGrath lifts lid on secret to Australia’s domination of women’s cricket
Australia holds every trophy in women’s cricket and star all-rounder Tahlia McGrath reveals why they remain at the top of the game.
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If you’ve ever wondered why Australia’s champion women cricketers never take their foot off the gas, even when they keep winning so convincingly, Tahlia McGrath presents a perfect case study.
Already one of the world’s best all-rounders, she has to become even better to keep her spot in the national team because the competition for places is so intense.
If the opposition doesn’t present enough of a challenge, then their own teammates who have missed out certainly will because nothing less than the very best will cut it.
“When you see the players we have on the sidelines and the players not in the squad, they’d make most other international sides,” McGrath said.
“It’s a really tough XI to get into and to stay in, but I think that healthy competition is what makes us so good.
“We all get on so well and celebrate each other’s success and we always set high expectations on ourselves. We’re always striving to improve. We go out to win every game and win every tournament, so we’ll never get sick of it.”
Just 26, McGrath is proof of the dizzy standards required, because she’s had to oust living legend Ellyse Perry to seal her spot.
On her toes, knowing who’s next in line, McGrath has excelled with both bat and ball in all three formats of the game, particularly T20 internationals, where she averages 93 at the crease.
She missed out on the Australian team that won the 2020 T20 World Cup, but was selected for the side that won the gold medal at this year’s Commonwealth Games — and she hasn’t looked back.
Naturally shy, she was thrust into the spotlight for reasons she never expected when she was diagnosed with Covid on the morning of the final.
Under the tournament rules, she was still allowed to play, but had to keep her distance from everyone and couldn’t make any physical contact with her teammates, even at the post-match celebrations.
“It was one of the strangest days of my life and one of the longest days of my life,” she said.
“As the game was at 6pm, and I think I tested positive about 9am, I spent the whole day in my hotel room just sort of waiting for what the plan was.
“I was extremely lucky with our medical team and support staff to clear all the protocols, get me on the field, and I got to play.
“I got a gold medal, but didn’t really get to celebrate, though.
“I was right back in my hotel room, quarantining.
“I heard about all the stories from the night before, about what the team got up to, but that was a small price I had to pay and I wouldn’t change anything.”
McGrath stayed in England and played in The Hundred before returning home to captain Adelaide Strikers in the WBBL.
She has a busy international season ahead, with Australia’s women scheduled to travel to India in December and then host Pakistan in January, before flying to South Africa to defend their T20 World Cup crown.
Despite her sensational form, the competition for places hasn’t become any easier — but that’s just the way McGrath likes it.
“I don’t care where it is, or who we’re playing, any chance to put on the Australian shirt is pretty special,” she said.
“This has obviously been a pretty successful period for us, and currently holding every trophy
and being so successful, it’s nice to reflect on.
“But at the same time, we can’t sort of stop there. We’ve got to keep pushing. Everyone’s hunting us. So we need to fight. Keep finding ways to be better and stay ahead.
“It’s probably something that I’ll reflect on at the end of my playing career, because it’s come a long way in such a short amount of time.
“And it’s not just women’s cricket. Women’s sport in general is growing leaps and bounds. It’s getting so much more exposure and more opportunities, and so much more hype around what we’re doing. It’s an exciting time to be involved in women’s sport.”
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HEALY STEPS UP TO CAPTAIN’S PLATE
By Emma Greenwood
Alyssa Healy is set to be locked in as Australian captain this week, as Meg Lanning continues her extended break away from the game.
As Cricket Australia prepares to announce its side to tour India, News Corp understands Lanning is still on an extended break from the game and will not be named.
Healy will be announced as Australian captain in Lanning’s absence, a tremendous honour for one of the game’s most successful international cricketers.
Already vice-captain of the national side, Healy will lead Australia for as long as Lanning remains on an indefinite leave of absence.
While Healy would not be drawn on her role for the Indian tour, with the squad not named until later this week, she does believe the clash with Australia’s greatest recent white-ball rivals presents the chance to reset goals after an incredibly successful international cycle during the past four years.
“It’s just an amazing group of women at the moment that have done some really amazing things over the last … four years,” Healy said.
“It’s almost an opportunity with Rachael Haynes leaving and Meg’s status a little bit up in the air. It’s a nice little opportunity for us to reset and go — what are our challenges coming next and where do we want to place ourselves moving forward and how we want to play.
“We still don’t know quite what Meg’s doing just yet, so for me I’m still vice-captain and I’ll play my role, whatever that might be, over in India.
“If the opportunity comes about to lead, then I’ll grab it with both hands and really enjoy that opportunity.”
Australia and India have built an incredible rivalry in the women’s game recently, most notably in T20 cricket.
The two nations faced off in both the 2020 T20 World Cup final and this year’s Commonwealth Games decider, with the Aussies coming out on top on both occasions.
“They’re probably one of the strongest white-ball teams going around and we seem to come up against one another quite a lot in — whether it be in ICC events or even the Comm Games final earlier this year as well,” Healy said.
“It is becoming one of the big rivalries in the sport, which is really cool, and we seem to manage to get over the top of them in the big moments.
“But I’ve got no doubt that that’ll change at some point.”
With five games planned for next month, there’s likely to be plenty of ebb and flow, especially among players that know each other’s games so well, having played together in the WBBL and England’s The Hundred. The inaugural women’s IPL is rumoured to be on the cards early next year.
“They’re a really good side. I hesitate to use the words up-and-coming because I think everyone knows how good they are, although I’m not sure if they quite know how good they are yet — which is kind of scary for everybody else in the world,” Healy said.
“But I think with a five-match series, especially the T20 format, I’ve got no doubt that there’ll be five tough games, five really good contests. And obviously with the next 50-over World Cup in India, in 2025, it’s a great opportunity for us to get over there and play in those conditions and potentially take some young kids over there to get some experience as well.”
India has been a happy hunting ground for Healy, who posted her first international century there and has thrived in the conditions.
And she says it can be a galvanising tour for an Australian group that is starting to undergo some generational change.
“A tour of the subcontinent is actually a really cool one to be involved with ... they’re some of the memories that will stick with you.
“It’s always a great place to go on tour, they look after you beautifully and you always get access to some great facilities, so all the girls are really excited to get out there.”
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