Wellington backed to return to Aussie side

Australia great Mel Jones believes Amanda-Jade Wellington can force her way back into the national set-up, believing the young leg-spinner’s omission from the World T20 squad was largely a matter of team balance.

Wellington was left out of Australia’s T20I squad which took on New Zealand late last month and remained on the outer when an expanded 15-player group was named for November’s Women’s World T20.

The 21-year-old was instead included in the Australia A squad currently touring India, where she has a chance to prove a point to selectors.

“A lot of people have been questioning why there was no Amanda-Jade Wellington in the series just passed (against New Zealand) and why she didn’t get picked for the World T20 as well, especially with it being in Guyana, which is probably going to be lower and slower,” Jones told cricket.com.au.

“I don’t think it’s really come down to whether she’s good enough, because her stats prove that she is, but I think it’s about balance and the style of play Australia want.

“The most important thing, whether she’s picked or not, is the communication (from selectors) moving forward because she’s still such a young spinner, she’s got years and years ahead of her.

“I think because it was such a young spin bowling unit (against New Zealand), with Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham and Ashleigh Gardner, a lot would have come down to how (coach) Matthew Mott and (captain) Meg Lanning saw them working together as a unit and how mature they were … and I think they have a lot of faith in those three.”

Wellington’s eight-match T20I career has seen her capture 10 wickets at 11.20, with an economy rate of 5.60, while her ability to give the ball a huge rip - as seen in her remarkable delivery to dismiss England's Tammy Beaumont during last summer's Ashes Test. But after a brilliant breakthrough debut series against New Zealand in early 2017, where she took nine of those 10 wickets, her returns in the format have dropped off in the 18 months since – including bowling just four overs across three T20Is during a tri-series in India in March.

Victorian leggie Wareham, 19, came into the Australia T20I squad that whitewashed New Zealand in Wellington’s place.

At the time, Mott explained it was Wareham’s ability to turn the ball both ways, to bowl leg-spin with pace, and her outstanding abilities in the field which convinced Australian selectors to take a chance on the teenager, but he added the door remained open for Wellington to force her way back in.

“(Wellington) just needs to work on a few things with her bowling in T20s, we think she’s got another step to go when it comes to asking a few more questions of the batters with both sides of the bat and her all-round package,” Mott said last month.

“I think she’s improving as a batter but in our team she’s probably more of a late-order batter, so it's about getting a bit more dynamic with the batting, getting between the wickets a bit quicker and improving her fielding.

“She’s been given clear instructions on the way back in but she remains a player of great interest to us – she's potentially a world-class bowler.”

Recuperating spinner Jess Jonassen and Western Australian opener Nicole Bolton were the two players added to Australia’s World T20 squad, and Jones said she could understand the reasoning behind adding Bolton as an extra batter, as opposed to a bowler.

“I always thought Jonassen, fitness going well, would be back in, that’s just a no-brainer because she’s one of the best T20 bowlers in the world,” Jones said.

“Then that last spot was probably up for grabs for a couple of different people.

“You always want to see people (like Bolton) who work their backsides off get rewarded for that.

“I know it wasn’t T20 cricket but she had an outstanding series in India with the bat in ODIs, she was really aggressive and played her game.

“She’s fantastic in the field, a great team player and they’re the people you always want on a tour.”

Jones believes competition for spots is a healthy sign for the depth of Australian cricket, pointing to the emergence of left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux against New Zealand, who stepped up superbly in place of fellow left-armer Jess Jonassen, who was recuperating from knee surgery.

“We do want to see that competition (for spots), you want to see what with ‘keepers and batters, pace bowlers and spinners,” Jones said.

“I think we’ll start seeing that with Sophie and Jonassen now, it is an interesting one.”

CommBank Tour of Malaysia

Australia ODI squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicole Bolton, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy (wk), Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

Australia T20 & World T20 squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicole Bolton, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy (wk), Jess Jonassen (subject to fitness), Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

Pakistan ODI/T20 squad: Javeria Khan (c), Bibi Nahida, Ayesha Zafar, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Sidra Amin, Omaima Sohail, Nida Rashid, Sidra Nawaz, Sana Mir, Nashra Sundhu, Anum Amin, Natalia Parvaiz, Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Aiman Anwar

October 18: First ODI v Pakistan, Kinrara Academy Oval, Kuala Lumpur

October 20: Second ODI v Pakistan, Kinrara Academy Oval

October 22: Third ODI v Pakistan, Kinrara Academy Oval

October 25: First T20I v Pakistan, Kinrara Academy Oval

October 27: Second T20I v Pakistan, Kinrara Academy Oval

October 29: Third T20I v Pakistan, Kinrara Academy Oval

2018 ICC Women's World T20  

November 9: Australia v Pakistan, Province Stadium, Guyana

November 11: Australia v Ireland, Province Stadium

November 13: Australia v New Zealand, Province Stadium

November 17: Australia v India, Province Stadium

November 22: Semi-finals, Sir Vivian Richards Ground, Antigua

November 24: Final, Sir Vivian Richards Ground