Australia to 'reset' in bid to stay ahead of the pack

Australia’s women have begun plotting their path to continued world domination, as they enter a new era following significant changes to their coaching personnel.

Australia’s 15 contracted players, including the injured Georgia Wareham and Tayla Vlaeminck, are in camp in Brisbane this week, the first time they have come together since taking out the ODI World Cup in New Zealand in early April.

It is also the first time they have met since news broke that former head coach Matthew Mott was departing to lead England’s men’s white-ball teams, followed by assistant Ben Sawyer’s departure to take on the top job with New Zealand’s women.

Part of the week-long camp will be dedicated to mapping out how they wish to approach their T20 cricket leading into the upcoming Commonwealth Games and next year’s T20 World Cup in South Africa.

"I do have some ideas around that … we're coming off a strong ODI phase and we're now moving into a heavy T20 phase, leading up to a World Cup next year and we've got the Comm Games,” interim head coach Shelley Nitschke, who will oversee both the Games in Birmingham and the lead-up T20 tri-series in Ireland, said from Brisbane.

"Part of the camp that we're on this week is about talking about having a bit of a reset, and looking at how we want to play our T20 Cricket.

"There's going to be some really good discussions over the next couple of days around that. And from that, we'll start to look at ways that we can hopefully stay in that No.1 position, knowing that other teams are coming for us.

"We obviously want to want to stay in that position but we need to keep evolving things."

Australia have enjoyed a rich period of success since winning back the T20 title in 2018, claiming back-to-back World Cup wins in the shortest format in 2020, then going undefeated in the ODI World Cup in New Zealand.

Nitschke will be joined by assistants Jude Coleman and Dan Marsh for the upcoming United Kingdom trip, with both coaches familiar faces after mentoring Australia A in an undefeated campaign against England A in January.

Neither are attending this week’s camp in Brisbane, but will join Australia’s Commonwealth Games group for a second training block at the end of the month prior to their departure for Ireland in the second week of July.

"They work well together and think their skill sets are really complementary," Nitschke said of Coleman and Marsh.

"It will be nice and refreshing for the spin bowlers who have been working with me for the last four years to get a different take on things from Marshy and Jude similarly."

A permanent head coach will be announced later this year, with Australia’s next series following the Commonwealth Games likely to be a tour of India in December, ahead of a home series against Pakistan in January, and the T20 World Cup in February.

Australia's Tour of the UK, 2022

Australia's squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington

T20 Tri-Series

July 16: Australia v Pakistan

July 17: Australia v Ireland

July 19: Ireland v Pakistan

July 21: Australia v Ireland

July 23: Australia v Pakistan

July 24: Ireland v Pakistan

All matches start 3pm local time (midnight AEST) and played at Bready Cricket Club, Derry, Northern Ireland

2022 Commonwealth Games

July 29 v India (11am local time, 8pm AEST)

July 31 v Barbados (6pm local, 3am Aug 1 AEST)

August 3 v Pakistan (11am local, 8pm AEST)

Group A: Australia, India, Pakistan, Barbados

Group B: England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka

Semi-finals: August 6, 11am local (8pm AEST) and 6pm local (3am Aug 7 AEST)

Bronze medal match: August 7, 10am local (7pm AEST)

Gold medal match: August 7, 5pm local (2am Aug 8 AEST)

All matches played at Edgbaston Stadium