Selectors back McGrath as Perry recovers from injury

Allrounder Tahlia McGrath has been endorsed as a potential replacement for the injured Ellyse Perry as well as a future leadership option after she was handed her first full national contract today.

McGrath hasn't played for Australia since 2017-18 Ashes series but is one of three new faces on Australia's 15-player list of centrally-contracted players for the 2020-21 season.

Despite her being out of the national set-up for two-and-a-half years, national selector Shawn Flegler says McGrath has long been on his radar as a genuine allrounder capable of batting in the top order as well as bowling at any stage of the innings.

It's a role Perry has filled expertly in the Australian side for many years and while the star allrounder is hopeful of returning to full fitness by September having undergone a hamstring operation, Flegler says McGrath could fill that void ahead of the one-day World Cup early next year.

"It's very hard to replace Ellyse Perry, obviously … but we think Tahlia has those attributes that she could fill a role if required," Flegler said

"So if Pez doesn't get back in time to play some games for Australia, Tahlia's certainly an option to come in and either bat in that middle-order slot, she can open the bowling or she can bowl through those middle overs as well.

"We're really fortunate that we do have a number of (allrounder) options; Nicola Carey had a really strong domestic season and has continued to develop her game, Delissa Kimmince keeps ticking along and she's still a very good option … and the young one who's come through is Annabel Sutherland.

"They're all in that allrounder mix who could possibly take a slot or fill a role if Ellyse isn't fit to play for Australia in the medium term."

Perry went under the knife last month and told cricket.com.au this week she's hopeful of returning to full fitness in time for Australia's proposed series against New Zealand, which is slated for the start of the summer pending cricket's resumption amid the coronavirus pandemic.

But with the one-day World Cup scheduled to be played in New Zealand in February and March next year, Flegler says selectors will take a cautious approach with both Perry and young quick Tayla Vlaeminck, who is recovering from a foot injury.

"We're certainly not going to push it," he said.

"The World Cup is still our main focus of this upcoming season so we'll see how the recovery goes. They're on track at the moment.

"We certainly won't push things along just to get a couple of games into them at the start of the season. We'd rather be a little bit conservative … we don't want to risk anything."

Flegler also identified McGrath as part of the next generation of future leaders as selectors take a long-term view to Australia's all-conquering side.

While 28-year-old skipper Meg Lanning is expected to be at the helm for some time, Flegler has turned his attention to potential captaincy options in a post-Lanning era.

"The captaincy part is really important all around the country and I think we need to develop our young Australian leaders," he said.

"At some point Meg is going to retire and our senior players are going to finish up, so we do need those young players coming through to get those leadership opportunities.

"We've seen the leadership attributes in Tahlia for a while. She's not very outspoken or anything, I think she likes to do things through her actions. She's also finished a teaching degree where she has to get up in front of students and talk, so there's that part of it as well.

"I think she's just grown and gotten confidence each year over the past few years and you can see that coming out in her game."