Aussie quick Tayla Vlaeminck ruled out of Women’s Ashes, World Cup

The Aussie women’s side might’ve thought they’d had all the bad luck they were going to get on the injury front but they were mistaken.

Australia has been rocked by another injury blow. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)

Tayla Vlaeminck has been ruled out of the Ashes and the upcoming Women’s World Cup in yet another devastating injury blow to the Aussie women’s side.

The Aussie quick has sustained a stress fracture in her foot similar the one that hampered her 2020.

Vlaeminck played in the first match of the Ashes series, a resounding T20 win for Australia, but sat the second out through injury.

The Aussies spent the intervening days sweating on her fitness and on Sunday, Cricket Australia confirmed the worst.

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“Tayla reported a return in midfoot pain and subsequent images have confirmed a recurrent stress fracture of the navicular,” said team doctor Philippa Inge.

“The Cricket Australia and Cricket Victoria medical teams will work collaboratively on the immediate management over the coming days and a subsequent return to play plan. She will be unavailable for the Ashes series and ODI World Cup.”

Australia had been sweating on Vlaeminck’s fitness. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)

Selectors are planning to make a decision on whether to call another player into the squad “in due course”.

The injury will be all the more frustrating for Vlaeminck given she missed Australia’s recent Test and ODI series against India through injury.

Star batter Rachael Haynes said the Aussies were devastated for Vlaeminck.

“It was a pretty quiet changeroom when we found out the news,” she said.

“We’re so disappointed for her. She’s a really popular member of our group. There’s probably not a lot you can say (to console her) at the moment.

“Obviously we want to be as positive as we can for her but also we’re also recognising that she is going to have a little bit of a long road back to cricket.

“We’re just really gutted for her.”

Awful news for Tayla Vlaeminck. Misses a second consecutive World Cup (as well as the rest of the Ashes) due to another stress fracture in her foot.#AUSvENG#Ashes

— Andrew McGlashan (@andymcg_cricket) January 23, 2022

Ah terrible news. Tayla Vlaeminck has suffered a similar stress fracture in her right foot to the one that ruled her out of the T20 World Cup. She's out of the #Ashes and the upcoming WC.

— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) January 23, 2022

Poor Tayla Vlaeminck, she can’t catch a break!

The fast bowler has been ruled out for the remainder of the women’s #Ashes series after scans revealed a stress fracture in her right foot.

— Brittany Carter (@_BrittanyCarter) January 23, 2022

Vlaeminck is set to join a handful of Australia’s biggest stars in the casualty ward.

Spinner Georgia Wareham, who would have been a lock for selection in the Ashes squad, ruptured her ACL during WBBL|07 in October last year and was subsequently ruled out of the action-packed start to Australia’s international calendar.

Spinner Sophie Molineux is also recovering from a stress fracture in her foot but is a chance to return for the World Cup, which begins in March.

The absence of superstar batter Beth Mooney (broken jaw) also looms as potentially disastrous for the Aussies, who would have been relying on her composure at the crease in the Ashes.

Without Wareham, Molineux and now Vlaeminck, Australia will require Megan Schutt and Jess Jonassen to muscle up and carry the bowling attack throughout the multi-format series against the side’s most bitter foe.