Litchfield to make history as Big Bash's youngest skipper

Phoebe Litchfield will lead the Sydney Thunder this season, becoming the youngest full-time captain in Weber WBBL history.  

Litchfield will be just 21 years and 193 days old when she leads the Thunder for the first time in their season opener against the Hobart Hurricanes on October 28.  

Although she won't be the competition's youngest to lead a match, that goes to teammate Hannah Darlington (19y, 262d) who filled in for Rachael Haynes in 2021, there's never been a player as young as Litchfield named a club's permanent captain.  

Sydney Thunder WBBL|10 squad: Georgia Adams (England), Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka), Sam Bates, Hannah Darlington, Sienna Eve, Saskia Horley, Shabnim Ismail (South Africa), Sammy-Jo Johnson, Heather Knight (England), Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield (c), Claire Moore, Taneale Peschel, Georgia Voll, Tahlia Wilson 

Nicole Faltum was 22 when she was installed as Melbourne Stars captain two seasons ago, while Meg Lanning (Stars in WBBL|01) and Sophie Molineux (Renegades in WBBL|07) were both 23 when they were handed the title.   

Litchfield replaces England captain Heather Knight in the role, who remains with the Thunder and will serve as mentor and sounding board for the rookie skipper. 

In addition to Knight, Litchfield also has highly-credentialled leaders in Georgia Adams and Chamari Athapathuthu to lean on, should she require guidance or advice.  

"It's a huge honour to be named captain of Sydney Thunder," Litchfield said. "I've grown up playing for this club and learning from some incredible leaders, so to now have the opportunity to lead such a talented group of players is really exciting. 

"We've got a great mix of experience and young raw talent, and I'm really looking forward to the challenge of captaining the side this season."

Despite only being into the second year of her 20s, Litchfield already feels like a WBBL veteran with 67 matches under her belt since a debut as a 16-year-old in 2019.  

The energetic left-hander's progression through the ranks has been swift, becoming a regular for Australia in all three formats of the game and establishing herself as a highly sought-after signing in overseas leagues like the Hundred and the WPL.

Sydney Thunder General Manager Trent Copeland said Litchfield's appointment was a " natural progression" for a 20-year-old "who has proven her leadership capabilities on and off the field".

"She's young, but her experience in the game makes this a natural progression. Phoebe has always been mature beyond her years, and her leadership qualities have been evident from the moment she joined Thunder," said Copeland.

"We've seen Phoebe thrive under pressure, whether it's for Australia in the World Cup or in key moments for Thunder. She's a great leader, both by character and by example, and we are excited to see her step into this role."

With her latest gig, Litchfield now enters the conversation for any upcoming leadership vacancies in the national side.  

Current all-format skipper Alyssa Healy is 34 years old, while vice-captain Tahlia McGrath will turn 29 in November.

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