Sutherland to take over captaincy from ex-Aussie star

Annabel Sutherland is embracing her added responsibility with Melbourne Stars this season, after the club confirmed the Australia allrounder would take over the captaincy from Meg Lanning in Weber WBBL|10. 

Sutherland, who turned 23 earlier this month, will step into the enormous shoes of her former national skipper as they look to return to the finals for the first time since WBBL|06. 

Lanning has stepped away from the captaincy after five seasons at the helm, having led the team in WBBL|01-02 and then returning to the job after her three-season stint at Perth Scorchers.  

It’s not an entirely new job for Sutherland, who filled in for Lanning in three matches last season, and the role is a strong endorsement of her leadership potential as she prepares to take charge of a team that will include South African superstar Marizanne Kapp and Indians Yastika Bhatia and Deepti Sharma. 

"I did a couple of games at the back end of last year and enjoyed the opportunity," Sutherland told cricket.com.au.  

"It's going to be a new experience and I'm not expecting to get everything right, it'll be a learning opportunity, for sure. 

"(But) I think it's a chance to get out of your own game a little bit, and you have a bit more of a touch point with the rest of the group, and find ways to help others out.  

"I think given the amount of cricket we've played in this last little bit, it'll be nice to step into a different space and think about the game a little bit differently." 

Sutherland will also play a key role with bat and ball in WBBL|10, off the back of a strong campaign in the latter of those skillsets in the T20 World Cup, where she was Australia’s leading wicket taker with nine, while maintaining an economy rate of 5.15. 

Her opportunities with the bat were limited, with Sutherland facing just nine balls batting low in the Australian order, but she will hope to reprise the form she displayed in The Hundred, where she was Northern Superchargers’ leading run scorer hitting 212 at a strike rate of 137.66. 

The Stars have already produced promising signs ahead of WBBL|10, reaching the semi-finals of the T20 Spring Challenge, and will only be strengthened by the additions of Sutherland, Kapp and Kim Garth from the World Cup.  

The arrivals of Bhatia and Sharma will be slightly delayed due to India’s three-game ODI series against New Zealand, running from October 24-29. 

"I think we've got some star power with the internationals we've got, and then I think the depth through the domestic list is really cool," Sutherland said.  

"Those younger girls coming through - or not so young anymore - Rhys McKenna, Tess Flintoff, Sophie Day.  

"Those girls have had some experience the last couple of years and done a really good job for us, so I'm pumped to see what they can do." 

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