‘Megan is the ultimate professional; she’s got a big role to play for us’, says Aus head coach Shelley Nitschke

New Delhi; Australian women’s team head coach Shelley Nitschke described pacer Megan Schutt as the ‘ultimate professional’ for her response to being left out of the team’s playing XI for their World Cup campaign opener against New Zealand. Although it was expected that the Aussies would include Schutt in their plans for the second game against Sri Lanka, the match was washed out due to persistent rains, and the pacer had to wait a little longer for her inclusion. Nitschke, however, did not confirm if Schutt would have played in that cancelled match, as Darcie Brown was favoured over her against New Zealand. “She is obviously the ultimate professional and she took it very well. We sort of looked at the match-ups and the performances coming in, but certainly I understand that Megan’s got a big role to play for us moving forward,” Nitschke told ESPNCricinfo.

“We’ll have another look again at the match-ups and the conditions at Premadasa before we take on Pakistan and see if she’s in that right sort of team to best match up to them to hopefully win,” she added. Australia’s next game at the Women’s World Cup is scheduled against Pakistan at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo on Thursday and the defending champions will be playing that game after a week-long gap.

Notably, Schutt has claimed 10 wickets in nine ODIs against Pakistan, though she went wicketless in the last two matches played at home between the two teams in early 2023.

Meanwhile, Brown has taken five wickets in two matches, having registered 2 for 21 and 3 for 32 in Brisbane. But what is concerning is that she also conceded 52 runs in four overs during the team’s World Cup campaign opener against New Zealand.

Australia are currently placed second on the points table of the eight-nation global tournament with three points from two games. While they clinched a win in their first game, a point each was awarded to the Aussies and Lankans after their game was called off.