Excitement, anticipation: Cup journey underway in Mackay

Australia’s campaign for an unprecedented fourth consecutive T20 World Cup, and the start of what will be one of their busiest seasons ever, has kicked off in low-key fashion on an overcast morning in Mackay.

In stark contrast to the hustle and bustle that awaits them at the upcoming ICC Tournament in Dubai, the Australian squad congregated at the Great Barrier Reef Arena on Tuesday for their first hit out ahead of their three-game T20I series against New Zealand.

Those matches, beginning Thursday, are a chance to shake off any cobwebs before their departure for the United Arab Emirates on September 25, and will be Australia’s first international games since their tour of Bangladesh in March.

Between brief downpours, the entire 16-player squad were put through their paces in what is their first visit to Queensland’s far north since their ODI series against India in Mackay in 2021.

And despite the unassuming fashion in which a 2024-25 season that includes a World Cup and which will culminate in an Ashes Test at the MCG got underway, Litchfield said there was a palpable sense of anticipation within the group.

"I'm so excited," Litchfield, selected for her first ICC event, told reporters in Mackay on Tuesday morning.

"I've been part of the squad for a bit, but the energy and excitement around a world tournament hits different and I'm super pumped to get over there."

While it has been an unusually long period between tours for the Australians, Litchfield said it had nonetheless been a busy winter for the world’s top-ranked team.

The nationally contracted group linked up regularly in Brisbane for various training camps, while the majority of the Australian players were involved in The Hundred.

The remainder, outside of a handful who were rehabilitating injuries, took part in the recent white-ball games against India A.

"It's a nice time to come together," Litchfield said.

"We can put any rust or any of those things out of the equation before the World Cup … I think it's a really good opportunity for us to get out there and play as a team and practice a few of the things we want to do for the rest of the season.

"We've had really good preparation. We're all looking forward to this three-game series, and I think we're all in some good form."

New Zealand come into this series desperate to find form after a difficult period that has seen them lose 11 of their last 13 T20I matches.

Two of those defeats came at home against Pakistan in December 2023, before back-to-back five-game series against England in March and July yielded scorelines of 1-4 and 0-5.

Defeat in Thursday’s series opener would mark the White Ferns’ longest ever losing streak in the shortest format, but with a line-up that includes superstars Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr, Litchfield said there was no risk Australia would take their rivals lightly.

"They have game winners and they're the kind of team that can take the game away from you just by the likes of their top order with the bat and then a few really key spinners," she said.

"We can't take them lightly. They're a formidable side."

CommBank T20I Series v New Zealand   

First T20: September19, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 7.10pm

Second T20: September 22, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 7.10pm

Third T20: September 24, Allan Border Field, Brisbane, 7.10pm