Australia face fitness concern as fast bowler injured against Pakistan
Australia will be hoping for a positive fitness update after one from their bowling attack suffered an injury setback inside the first over of Friday’s Group A match against Pakistan.
Tayla Vlaeminck had been brought into the Australia side having spent the team’s opening two games in the dugout.
But the 25-year-old suffered an injury in the field off just the fourth ball of the innings, dislocating her right shoulder.
Vlaeminck chased down an outside edge, but her knee stuck in the ground as she attempted a slide, and on reaching out for balance she hurt the previously-injured shoulder.
Unfortunate injury forces Vlaeminck off the field | WT20WC 2024
Unfortunate injury forces Vlaeminck off the field | WT20WC 2024
Speaking between innings, her teammate Megan Schutt spoke about her teammate, saying: “She gives a hundred percent all the time. We will rally around her and try to keep her happy.”
And in a statement released later in the game, the Australian team said:
“Tayla dislocated her right shoulder while attempting to stop a boundary. Her shoulder is now relocated and the extent of the injury will be known following further assessment over the coming days.”
Australia will be hoping that the injury isn’t serious for a player who has suffered a string of unfortunate fitness setbacks in her career.
First capped at the age of 20, the pace bowler picked up a stress fracture in her foot to rule her out of the 2020 edition of this tournament, before also missing the 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup through a shoulder injury, and not recovering form and fitness in time to force her way into Australia’s winning squad in South Africa in 2023.
Vlaeminck came into this tournament with 28 caps for her country across the three formats, and has an impressive T20 record.
Australia conclude their Group A campaign against India in Sharjah on Sunday.
