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In a huge setback to Australia, it is being learned that leg-spinner Georgia Wareham will be ruled out of the upcoming Ashes series, ICC Women's ODI World Cup in 2022 as well as the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham owing to a knee injury. Wareham, who is the vice-captain of the Melbourne Renegades, is said to have burst her ACL in the ongoing Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL).
While she had been initially ruled out of the Big Bash itself, later scans showed that she won't be able to take the field for the entire 2022. Not only will her injury need time to heal but she will then have to go for reconstructive surgery in early 2022 which will further need time for recovery.
This means that Wareham is certain of missing a packed Aussie cricketing calendar that has the Ashes series lined up in January and February before their tour of New Zealand for the 50-over World Cup. Post a brief interval, the team will participate in the Commonwealth games where it will be the first time that women's sports will be part of the event.
Dent to that Australian team because Georgia Wareham is so important to them: Kristen Beams
Wareham will be unfortunate to miss out on all these events at a time in her career when she looked ready to be a consistent performer on the world stage.
Meanwhile, former Australia leg-spinner Kristen Beams feels that the selectors will be tempted to look for options like Amanda-Jade Wellington and Alana King in Wareham's absence.
"I think we’ll see a leg-spinner added (to the squad), but they’ve also got some options within that Australian set-up. The two left-arm orthodox (spinners), will we see Jonassen and Molineux play in the same team? Can they bowl differently? Then you’ve got Ash Gardner and you’ve also got Molly Strano who’s been in and around (the squad)," Beams told The Scoop.
"The reality is it is a dent to that Australian team because Georgia Wareham is so important to them so they’re going to have to re-work and have a different plan for how they attack the next 12 months without her," she added.