No rest for the winners: Aussies set for Proteas tour

Australia coach Matthew Mott concedes the upcoming tour of South Africa will be a huge challenge for his world champion players, who are still basking in the triumph of Sunday's T20 World Cup win at the MCG.

Just one week after thumping India by 85 runs in front of 86,174 people, the Australian limited-overs squad will board a flight bound for Durban via Johannesburg, for three one-day internationals and three T20Is.

The tour comes at the end of an exhausting and relentless 10-month period, which started with an away Ashes campaign in the United Kingdom last June and July.

That was followed by an away tour of the West Indies, a home series against Sri Lanka, the first standalone edition of the Rebel WBBL, domestic 50-over games and the CommBank T20I tri-series.

It culminated in the home T20 World Cup, which saw the Australians cover more than 12,000km to play seven matches in six different cities.

Between the tri-series and the World Cup final, the squad was on the road for 45 days.

The players will no doubt still be riding the high of their fifth T20 World Cup title, but Mott said there were some concerns given their grueling schedule of late.

"We're not going to stand here and hide it, it's going to be a huge challenge in terms of getting the players up and ready," Mott told cricket.com.au.

"South Africa is going to be a tough tour physically and mentally, there'll be some sore bodies and some tired minds.

"It's going to be coming off a huge high and we're going to do a lot of management around when the right time really is to switch on and off – but they're so professional, they will do that."

The three ODIs are part of the ICC Women's ODI Championship – which determines World Cup qualification – meaning they needed to be played in this window.

A six-week player leave period will follow the tour.

This is the first time any Australian women's team has toured South Africa for a bilateral series. None of the current crop were part of the 2005 World Cup held in the country and, of the World Cup squad, only leg-spinner Georgia Wareham and allrounder Annabel Sutherland have toured there as part of an under-19s group.

Mott said he had discussed his concerns with players, who were all adamant they wanted to be part of the South Africa tour.

"South Africa is a magnificent place," Mott said.

"We spoke to a few players about what their management might look like and not one of them wants to miss South Africa.

"So once we get out head around this (T20 World Cup win), I'm sure they'll really look forward to that trip."

Australia's squad will be announced this week, with Mott saying they were mulling whether to take a group of 14 or 15, given the need to manage tired bodies.

Two players who will miss are allrounder Ellyse Perry, who will undergo hamstring surgery this week and is expected to be sidelined for six months, and fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck, who was ruled out on the eve of the World Cup due to stress fractures in her foot.

Sutherland will be on track for a one-day international debut, with Mott confirming he sees the teenager playing a "big role" in the 50-over format.

"I genuinely see this core group staying together, our best players are our best players at the moment, in both formats," he said.

"We've got some players on the fringes who've put their hands up but judging on what we've seen this tournament, every player played a role.

"I think we'll just have to be smart with our management of everyone over there as well."

The 2022 T20 World Cup will be played in South Africa, and this tour is a crucial chance to gain some experience in those conditions.

Another carrot to get the Australians energised is the fact they have won 18 consecutive one-day internationals and have a chance to equal the overall record, held by Ricky Ponting's team of 2003, if they manage to whitewash the Proteas.

They also have a chance to finish the ICC Women's ODI Championship – which they have already won – with 20 wins from 21 matches.

"We'd be doing a disservice to the last few years in the Championship if we didn't finish well, so I think that's the real motivating factor," Mott said.

"We really value the Championship and that's certainly the big thing I'll be drawing on.

"We'll have the family and partner period over there and that's huge, that'll get everyone up and about and they'll want to perform in front of their families, their partners and their friends."

CommBank Tour of South Africa

First ODI: March 22, Kingsmead, Durban

Second ODI: March 25, Pietermaritzburg

Third ODI: March 28, Buffalo Park, East London

First T20: March 31, Buffalo Park, East London

Second T20: April 3, Willowmoore Park, Benoni

Third T20: April 4, Willowmoore Park, Benoni