Home comforts to join Wareham on tour

Georgia Wareham is preparing for her first overseas tour with the Australian Women’s Cricket Team, but the teenage leg-spinner will have no shortage of home comforts during her journey from Australia to Malaysia to the Caribbean and back.

Joining the Victorian in Australia’s squads for the upcoming tour against Pakistan in Malaysia – and for next month’s World T20 in the Caribbean – are her roommates Sophie Molineux and Tayla Vlaeminck.

The trio, who all hail from country Victoria, share a house in the Melbourne suburbs with fellow Victorian player Rhiann O’Donnell.

"It’s pretty cool to have all three of us in the squad," Wareham reflected following the release of the World T20 squad this week.

"It means we have that sense of home when we’re away.

"We’re all really close and we can all lean on each other when we’re away."

Wareham thrust herself into contention for national selection with her performances on the Australia Under-19’s tour of South Africa in April, and continued to state her case while training in Brisbane with the National Performance Squad through the winter.

Her rapid rise has forced Wareham – who this time last year was studying for her Year 12 exams – to rearrange her diary for the next couple of months.

"I was enrolled in Uni, so I’ve pushed that to the side at the moment and I’ll concentrate on cricket," Wareham, who is studying exercise science, explained.

After making her T20I debut against New Zealand at North Sydney Oval last month, the Mortlake product is a strong chance to add an ODI cap to her collection during the three-match one-day series against Pakistan beginning in Kuala Lumpur on October 18.

"It’s really exciting, it’s obviously an honour to be in the Australian squad and the World Cup is a massive part of cricket," Wareham said.

Lining up against the world’s most powerful batters is a daunting task for anyone, let alone someone still in their teenage years, but Wareham has already impressed with her ability to remain calm under pressure.

"I think even in the third game I was really nervous, but I had support from all the players which was really good," Wareham said.

"The nerves are still quite high but I think having three games under my belt will help me in the future."

The Australian squad will travel to Malaysia early next week, where they’ll play three ODIs and three T20Is before travelling directly to the Caribbean for November’s World T20.

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