Australia names squad to face New Zealand women in T20 series

Australian women's cricket team captain Alyssa Healy will miss the T20 tour in New Zealand next month. In her place, reserve wicketkeeper Nicole Faltum has been called up, marking her first international tour.

Healy has been struggling with knee and foot injuries since the middle of last year. To allow her to fully recover in preparation for the Women's Cricket World Cup in October, she will be absent from this series.

Traditionally, the Australian team would use Beth Mooney as wicketkeeper in Healy's absence. With Mooney already a fixture in the team, the lineup does not require too much adjustment. However, the selection committee decided to include Faltum in the 14-player squad, with the 25-year-old Victorian player long considered a potential future prospect.

Chief selector Shawn Flegler said, "It's exciting to be able to bring Nicole into the team. She has been performing consistently for a long time. She will provide strong backup for Beth, who will be the wicketkeeper for this series. While Beth performed excellently during the Ashes series in Alyssa's absence, we must continue to look to the future, and Nicole is definitely someone we believe can play for Australia for a long time."

Healy's absence means Tahlia McGrath will once again captain the team, with Ashleigh Gardner serving as vice-captain. The series will begin on March 21 at Eden Park. Flegler also stated, "Alyssa is unavailable for this series due to the foot injury she sustained during the Ashes series. She is working hard on her rehabilitation, with the goal of being fit for the World Cup later this year."

Australian Squad: Tahlia McGrath (Captain), Ashleigh Gardner (Vice-Captain), Darcie Brown, Nicole Faltum, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham.