Brown eyes golden opportunity after hamstring blow

Maitlan Brown is determined to make the 2021-22 summer her own as she eyes off the vacant new-ball role in Australia's XI for their upcoming multi-format series against India.

The Australia squad seemed a distant dream to Brown last November when she slipped while attempting a sweep shot in the WBBL and tore her hamstring tendon from the bone.

It was a nine-month road to recovery after having the tendon surgically reattached, a period that started with Brown hobbling around the WBBL hub on crutches followed by long and lonely hours in the gym in Canberra before the 24-year-old moved to Sydney at the end of the season to join the NSW Breakers.

It was also a devastating blow that came just one month after she enjoyed her first taste of being part of an Australia squad for a limited-overs series against New Zealand in Brisbane, and just as she was producing career-best form with the ball for the Melbourne Renegades.

Now, Brown has another shot at that maiden international cap; and with Australia's star new-ball pacer Megan Schutt electing to sit out the India series, she has never had a better chance of snagging a spot in the world's best cricket team.

"That's a position I will be eyeing off, Schutter swings it up front and she's really good at the death and that's similar to what I do," Brown, who has a new Big Bash home after signing a three-year deal with the Sydney Sixers, told reporters on Thursday.

"I think I thought last summer (would be my year) but the unfortunate timing of the injury sucked.

"But everything at the moment seems to be lining up for me to make a good comeback."

It was that carrot of donning the green and gold that drove Brown through the rigours of rehabilitation, as she was forced to watch from afar through Australia's tour of New Zealand earlier this year, and from the sidelines during the domestic 50-over competition.

Keeping her going were her creative pursuits – she recently completed an industrial design degree at the University of Canberra, has been named the ACT's Emerging Artist of the Year, and spends much of her free time crafting leather wallets, building tables and tufting carpets.

"It was a rollercoaster," Brown said of her recovery. "I stayed in the WBBL hub after I had my surgery and had a lot of my mates around me.

"That was a smart idea (to stay) because I thrive off that and having them lift me up and being able to bounce off them was really good.

"But it was hard when I left and I was my own and I felt a bit lonely at times … hobbling around on my crutches, watching my boyfriend go out on the bike and everyone else train.

"It ebbed and flowed in terms of emotions, but I was really fortunate I had my industrial design.

"I was able to channel my energy into designing and creating fun things and that distracted me and made the time fly a little quicker, so I was grateful I had that."

Also helping Brown get through was regular contact with Australia allrounder and new Sydney Sixers teammate Ellyse Perry, who underwent her own arduous recovery from a similar hamstring injury last year.

"I was able to chat to her and get a bit of an idea of what her journey looked like," Brown explained.

"We've been texting back and forth a bit of banter, if I was in the shops I'd send her a pic of a packet of ham off the bone.

"We kept in touch throughout the whole journey … we chatted yesterday were saying how excited we are to meet up and compare scars.

"She was really great support."

Brown has been back bowling for two months and reckons she is already hitting the same speeds she was notching during last year's Big Bash – the television speedometer clocked her above 120kph, but she believes its realistically more like 115kph.

"At the moment I'm feeling really good, I've extended my run up a bit so that's changed from last season, just a couple of extra steps to get my pace up," she said.

"I'm (hitting personal bests) on a lot of my fitness tests at the moment so I'm feeling really strong and the results are showing."

Brown's bags are already packed, with the squad's six NSW-based players currently on standby to leave the state as early as this weekend to begin quarantine.

As it stands, no change has been made to the schedule featuring three ODIs, one Test and three T20Is, due to begin in Sydney on September 19, but ongoing border closures are likely to have some impact.

"It was really exciting packing, but at the same time we're all still waiting to see what everything looks like," Brown said.

"We're ready to go whenever they make the call."

I think it's going to be really healthy competition, there's a lot of banter around the group. Stella and I have become really good mates, I'm backing away in the nets facing her so I'm really excited to see how she goes.

Brown said leaving the Renegades after five seasons had been a tough call, but she was eager to work under Sixers mentor Ben Sawyer.

The chance to play alongside Australia teammates Perry, Alyssa Healy, Ashleigh Gardner and Erin Burns was another factor.

"It was a really tough decision for me … I had a couple of the Sixers girls in my ear giving me a bit of banter but it made me think about different options.

"It sucked having to tell my beautiful Renegades that I was leaving them, but I'm really looking forward to being in the pink this year.

"I looked up to Ellyse when I was younger and now playing alongside her is really cool."

Commonwealth Bank Series v India

*Schedule is subject to change pending quarantine and border requirements

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Darcie Brown, Maitlan Brown, Stella Campbell, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Georgia Redmayne, Molly Strano, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

Sep 19: First ODI, North Sydney Oval (D/N)

Sep 22: Second ODI, Junction Oval

Sep 24: Third ODI, Junction Oval

Sep 30 – Oct 3: Test match, WACA Ground (D/N)

Oct 7: First T20, North Sydney Oval

Oct 9: Second T20, North Sydney Oval

Oct 11: Third T20, North Sydney Oval