Aussies unfazed by Lanning fitness cloud

Australia will head to the World T20 full of confidence after romping to a T20I series whitewash against Pakistan in Malaysia, but they'll also fly to Antigua with an injury cloud hanging over skipper Meg Lanning.

Lanning missed Monday's third and final T20 due to a 'minor lower back injury' with deputy Rachael Haynes stepping up as skipper for the series finale.

With a series win already in the bag and with the World T20 looming, the Australian camp took no risks with their superstar leader, and her services with the bat weren't missed as her team claimed a nine-wicket victory.

Their next assignment, following a lengthy journey from Malaysia to Antigua that will see them reach Caribbean soil in the early hours of Thursday Australian time, is a warm-up match against England on Saturday (Sunday AEDT).

Lanning will be assessed on arrival in Antigua, but in much brighter news for the Australians, left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen made a successful return from injury on Monday.

"I've got no doubt Meg will be fine," wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy said following Monday's match.

"It was a huge loss for us but we have Rachael Haynes ready to pick up the slack and captain the side and she's done it tremendously well.

"There's enough experience within the squad to maintain what Meg's brought into the group but I have no doubt that come the World Cup, Meg will be fit and firing and ready to go."

Jonassen required surgery for a knee injury suffered during a pre-season training camp in September, missing the T20Is at home against New Zealand and the first five matches in Malaysia, but her return in the final match came slightly earlier than expected.

"It's great to see 'JJ' back," Healy said. "She slotted back in really nicely and took her role back at point and carried on with the ball like she's done over the last six or so years for Australia.

"It's great to have her experience on the field as well, and if need be with the bat she's going to do a job for us."

Healy said Australia would draw confidence from their strong showing against Pakistan, after going undefeated across the six-game tour.

Their three-nil result in the T20Is also meant they retained the No.1 team ranking heading into the ICC tournament.

"It was a great series for us, to go six-nil you could call it, and I think the team's in a really great place at the moment," she said.

"We'll take that confidence and come to the West Indies, but it'll be really important for us to recover really well and get on the time zone as quickly as we can, then hit the ground running once we start training over there.

"We've got great momentum and hopefully we can carry that on.

"(Number one) is a nice tag to hold, but we don't hold the World Cup trophy at the moment so that's a real extra incentive for us."

Following their warm-up game against England in Antigua on November 3, the Aussies travel to Guyana for a second warm-up against South Africa, ahead of their first group match against Pakistan on November 9.

CommBank Tour of Malaysia

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

Pakistan 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 25: Australia won the first T20I by 64 runs

October 27: Australia won the second T20I by six wickets

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