Strong 'A' squads named with World Cups looming

T20 World Cup hopefuls will have a chance to impress next month, with a host of the Rebel WBBL’s top performers named in Australia A squads to meet India A in Queensland.

Cricket Australia have named 13-player T20 and one-day squads for the six limited-overs matches to be played in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, granting a host of Australian hopefuls an opportunity to state their case for inclusion in the showpiece ICC tournament.

While Australia’s all-conquering No.1 ranked side is likely to remain stable for the World Cup on home soil next February and March, the fact a 15-player squad will be named means there are several spots still up for grabs.

The T20 squad includes Australian debutant Erin Burns and squad member Heather Graham, who were part of the group that whitewashed West Indies and Sri Lanka in recent months.

Experienced international Elyse Villani has also been included, given a chance to state a case for a recall after being omitted for those recent tours.

In-form quicks Belinda Vakarewa and Maitlan Brown, and off-spinner Molly Strano, have earned opportunities after consistently picking up wickets through WBBL|05, while impressive batting performances have earned Strikers Tahlia McGrath and Bridget Patterson their places.

"It’s important that that the depth of Australian Cricket continues to develop, with those players who have already had a taste on international cricket continuing to build their game and develop so they’re ready to go when the opportunity presents itself," said National Selector Shawn Flegler.

"It was really pleasing to see one of those players, Belinda Vakarewa, take the risk and move to Tasmania from New South Wales. She’s in great form and that gamble has really payed off for her."

Sixteen-year-old batter Phoebe Litchfield who made a splash scoring a half-century in just her second WBBL game for the Thunder last month, has also been named.

"In her first season of senior cricket Phoebe Litchfield has shown why she’s so highly rated,"  Flegler said. "For her this tour is a great chance to get a taste of playing against an international opposition."

The 13-player 50-over squad has been named with a longer-term view towards the 2021 One-Day World Cup, to be held in New Zealand.

Ten players from the T20 group have been included, alongside wicketkeepers Georgia Redmayne and Tahlia Wilson and leg-spinning allrounder Rachel Trenaman.

"With a T20 World Cup early next year and an ODI World Cup the following year, it’s exciting to see so many talented youngsters coming through the pathway and performing well and this tour is really going to test them against what we expect to be a strong Indian side," said Flegler.

The series kicks off on December 12 with the first of three one-dayers at Allan Border Field in Brisbane, before the T20s start on December 19 at the Gold Coast’s Bill Pippen Oval.

India also named their 'A' squad overnight, to be captained by experienced international Veda Krishnamurthy and featuring 15-year-old Shafali Verma, who struck two half-centuries against the West Indies senior side earlier this month.

Australia A One-Day squad: Maitlan Brown, Heather Graham, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Bridget Patterson, Georgia Redmayne, Sammy Jo Johnson, Molly Strano, Annabel Sutherland, Rachel Trenaman, Belinda Vakarewa, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Tahlia Wilson

Australia A T20 Squad: Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Josie Dooley, Heather Graham, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Bridget Patterson, Sammy Jo Johnson, Molly Strano, Annabel Sutherland, Belinda Vakarewa, Elyse Villani, Amanda-Jade Wellington

India A squad: Veda Krishnamurthy (c), Anuja Patil (vc), Priya Punia, Shafali Verma, Harleen Deol, Devika Vaidya, D Hemalatha, Tanusree Sarkar, Sushma Verma (wicket-keeper), Nuzhat Parween, Mansi Joshi, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Manali Dakshini, T P Kanwar

Australia A v India A

First OD: December 12, Allan Border Field, Brisbane, 10am

Second OD: December 14, Allan Border Field, Brisbane, 10am

Third OD: December 16, Allan Border Field, Brisbane, 10am

First T20: December 19, Bill Pippen Field, Gold Coast, 1pm

Second T20: December 21, Bill Pippen Field, Gold Coast, 1pm

Third T20: December 23, Bill Pippen Field, Gold Coast, 10am