‘Pretty special’: Wareham caps return with dream outing

Georgia Wareham may well be pinching herself after the events of the past 36 hours.

Just a day after she was snapped up for $131,000 in the inaugural Women’s Premier League auction, the leg-spinner was called into the Aussie XI for her first international match since October 10, 2021.

Wareham promptly produced a player of the match performance, bagging 3-20 against Bangladesh to help Australia maintain their unbeaten run this T20 World Cup.

The Victorian ruptured her Anterior Cruciate Ligament while fielding for the Melbourne Renegades in October 2021 and spent the next 15 months on the long road to recovery.

She was picked in the World Cup squad after playing just two domestic 50-over games for Victoria in January and speaking after Tuesday’s match, thanked the national selectors for the faith they had shown in her.

Image Id: 7CDA3035FA084DD4B84440B7007F6839 Image Caption: Wareham removed three of the Bangladesh top six in Gqeberha // ICC/Getty

"It's pretty cool to just be back out there in Aussie colours again," Wareham told reporters after the game.

"Any time I get to play for Australia is pretty special and to do that in a World Cup and contribute like I did today is pretty cool and to come away with the win as well is pretty cool."

Wareham was a core member of the Australian XI prior to her injury, playing in their 2018 and 2020 T20 World Cup victories, but was forced to watch from the sidelines throughout 2022.

Those 15 months out meant she missed a home Ashes campaign, the 50-over World Cup in New Zealand and T20 cricket’s debut at the Commonwealth Games.

Wareham watched the World Cup final in Christchurch last April on the couch with fellow injured Victorians Sophie Molineux and Tayla Vlaeminck, but has admitted that as time went on, she found it increasingly difficult to watch.

In the back of her mind throughout the long months of rehab was the carrot of this tournament, but even that was touch-and-go.

Image Id: 24BADF6822F74A22BB277BE15996C530 Image Caption: The leg-spinner had last played for Australia in October 2021 // ICC/Getty

"I mean it was it was pretty tough early days ... at the start I was watching a lot of cricket and finding myself missing it a lot but after a while I knuckled down into rehab and probably stopped watching it as much," she said.

"But I had really good people around me that helped me get through that.

"There were some dark days along the rehab but to come out the other side of it and to be where I am at the moment, I'm very thankful for those people.

"(This World Cup) was always a bit of a target.

"No one really likes to set return dates which can be really tricky in rehab, but it was probably the one glaring thing at the end there.

"It was always going to be tight and I thank the selectors for backing me having not played heaps of cricket coming into this World Cup … I'm really thankful for them putting a lot of trust in me."

Wareham’s selection in the World Cup squad was a nod to her consistent performances since her international debut in 2018, and so too was her WPL contract.

The leg-spinner was the subject of a bidding war between Gujarat Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore, with the former finally winning out.

It means she will join Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner, Annabel Sutherland and coach Rachael Haynes at a franchise that promises to have a strong Australian flavour.

Wareham revealed she was with the Australian team physio when she went under the hammer, admitting "we were both carrying on a little bit" and describing it as a surreal experience.

"It was a strange day for everyone involved," she said.

"I certainly didn't expect to get picked up but like everyone, we all hoped to be involved.

"The first year of anything is really cool and to get over there and play in India will be really special and I'm really looking forward to it.

"Being able to share the dressing room with those girls will be really exciting and then being able to play under Rachel will be really cool for the first season."

Australia will play Sri Lanka on Thursday, with a win to cement their place in the tournament semi-finals.

Wareham said the team would look to carry on momentum from their opening wins over New Zealand and Bangladesh, against a Sri Lanka side full of confidence after back-to-back wins over the Tigers and South Africa.

"We’re going to keep doing what we've been doing, sticking to our strengths," she said.

"Our bowlers up front have been really good, Darcie Brown’s really been setting the tone."

ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Alyssa Healy (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

Australia's T20 World Cup 2023 fixtures

Feb 11: beat New Zealand by 97 runs

Feb 14: v Bangladesh, St George's Park, Gqeberha, 7pm local (4am Feb 15 AEDT)

Feb 16: v Sri Lanka, St George's Park, Gqeberha, 3pm local (12am Feb 17 AEDT)

Feb 18: v South Africa, St George's Park, Gqeberha, 7pm local (4am Feb 19 AEDT)

Semi-finals

Feb 23: Newlands, Cape Town, 3pm local (12am Feb 24 AEDT)

Feb 24: Newlands, Cape Town, 3pm local (12am Feb 25 AEDT)

Final

Feb 26: Newlands, Cape Town, 3pm local (12am Feb 27 AEDT)