Annabel Sutherland's World T20 call-up sparks tears of joy
Annabel Sutherland’s surprise selection in Australia’s Women’s World T20 squad brought tears from her father, former Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland. Eighteen-year-old Sutherland could make her senior international debut in the home tournament starting in late February after earning a call up with strong form for Australia A against India A and a good WBBL season.
If so, she will be one up on 20-yearolder brother Will, also an allrounder, who made his first-class debut for Victoria this season. Sutherland said she woke Will to tell him the news of her selection but her father was playing golf with her mother and younger brother when they learned of it.
“When I saw Mum she said it was the first time she’d seen him cry in 54 years, so there you go,” said Sutherland. “But he’s just really excited and I guess we’re all pretty supportive of each other. We love sport and we just want each other to do well – so they’re all pretty proud.”
In recent
months,
18-year-old
Sutherland finished year 12, passed her driving test and received an offer to study science at the University of Melbourne.
“[Once school] finished up I was able to focus on the end of the WBBL which was nice and then leading into the Australia A series,” she said. “So I’ve had a fair bit of cricket the last couple of months which has really been nice and just had the time to knuckle down on my game and try and improve.”
Australian team coach Matthew Mott said Sutherland’s calm nature and “intent” when bowling gave the selectors confidence she could step up. “She seems to have a really level head on her shoulders, she knows the areas she’s trying to hit and she executes extremely well,” he said. “So for a young player to come in, there was no worry about whether she could come in and find a role in our team.”
Mott had seen a step up in Sutherland’s game this season. “I think she’s always been a very strong technical batter but [I’ve] just seen her go up another gear with the bat which was very good. “She got great reports in the WBBL but also in the A series from the coaches about her ability to hit a hard length and ask a question.
“She hurried up a lot of the India A players, so it was a really good audition for what’s coming up.”
Sophie Molineux was also named in the 15-woman squad, led by Meg Lanning for next month’s title defence. Veteran Elyse Villani was overlooked, falling just short of her bid to reclaim her spot after being dropped after the Ashes last year, while Ellyse Perry is fit after beating a shoulder injury to return for Victoria last week, with 13 of Australia’s squad from their win in 2018 still intact.
Allrounder Erin Burns is the other new face alongside Sutherland from outside that title-winning group, although she made her debut late last year. The squad came together in Melbourne on Wednesday night and have a tri-series with India and England at the end of the month. Their tournament then begins against India in Sydney on 21 February.
Molineux, meanwhile, made her return to cricket last week for Victoria after taking time out of the game during the Big Bash for personal reasons. She was Australia’s chief finger spinner in the last T20 campaign but has battled a shoulder injury for the past year following surgery and has been in and out of the team.
Molly Strano, Heather Graham and Belinda Vakarewa are among the players who could consider themselves unlucky, having been in the mix in recent months.
Australia: Meg Lanning (captain), Rachael Haynes, Erin Burns, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham.