Tayla Vlaeminck set for Australian opportunity on Bangladesh tour

A forgotten Australian bowler will make a long-awaited return to the green and gold in preparation for a World Cup.

Australia is set to unleash fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck for her first national opportunity in more than two years during its tour of Bangladesh this month.

The 25-year-old speedster sits outside Australia’s first-choice attack heading into the three-match ODI and T20I series but will be thrown the ball at some stage as coach Shelley Nitschke said it would be important to expose the squad to the conditions.

It’s Australia’s first women’s bilateral tour of Bangladesh, who will also host the T20 World Cup in September.

Nitschke said Vlaeminck was “one of the most excited players” in Australia’s squad after getting through five WNCL games and a “Green v Gold” trial game to prove her fitness for the tour.

The Victorian quick was struck down by two foot stress fractures in 2020 and 2022 before a freak shoulder injury while bowling in England last year. She played the last of her 23 white-ball games for Australia in January 2022.

Tayla Vlaeminck, dubbed ‘the Bendigo Bullet’, is set to play for Australia during the limited overs tour of Bangladesh this month. Picture: Daniel Pockett / Getty Images

“I think she’s one of the most excited players, and she’s just excited to be back in the environment, to be back around the group and on tour with the Australian team,” Nitschke said after the Australian side arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday.

“She’s really excited and looking forward to hopefully seeing her have some opportunities and get back out there, so she’s pumped at the moment.”

If Australia sticks with the two specialist quicks and two spinners model it took into its most recent limited overs games against South Africa, Vlaeminck will need to nudge past new-ball duo Megan Schutt and Kim Garth for a game, but Nitschke said the balance of the attack would be flexible.

The coach was open to using all three spinners in the squad after Sophie Molineux starred in the WPL this month and fired Royal Challengers Bangalore to the title with a three-wicket over in the final.

Ellyse Perry and Sophie Molineux (right) both made big contributions with the ball in Royal Challengers Bangalore’s run to the WPL title and will enter the Bangladesh series in top form. Picture: Pankaj Nangia / Getty Images

The left-arm spinner, who was recalled at the expense of Jess Jonassen, has not played a white-ball game for Australia since October 2021 after a foot stress fracture and ruptured ACL wiped her out for more than two years.

“I certainly do feel (three spinners) is an option for us if the conditions present,” Nitschke said.

“We still believe we’ve got plenty of options in our bowling – (Ellyse Perry) is up and about with the ball, as we saw in the WPL.”

Nitschke said there was still no timeline on a return for injured quick Darcie Brown, who was withdrawn from the squad last week with a foot stress injury.

“I think the timeline on that is a little bit unknown on it … I can’t sit here and put a definitive time on it, but I think her not being here on this tour gives her every chance to come back as quickly as she can,” Nitschke said.

“It probably changes our thinking a little bit, but we believe we’ve got plenty of spinners to fill the void as well given the conditions could be conducive to spin.”

Australia’s tour of Bangladesh

All six matches will be played at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka.

1st ODI: March 21

2nd ODI: March 24

3rd ODI: March 27

1st T20I: March 31

2nd T20I: April 2

3rd T20I: April 4

Squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ash Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Sophie Molineux, Megan Schutt, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgie Wareham.