Fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck, who missed out on Australia’s three World Cup wins, is inching towards a chance to break free in the United Arab Emirates after years of frustration and heartbreak.
The Victorian pacer was 20 years old when she received her first T20I cap. He played in one match during the 2018 T20 World Cup in West Indies, where he won the first of three successive wins for Australia. She was selected for the 2020 edition of the marquee tournament at her home stadium, but suffered a stress fracture to the navicular bone in her foot on the eve of the campaign and watched from the sidelines as Australia defended their title in front of 86,174 fans at the MCG. .
Vlaeminck, wearing moon boots, celebrated the victory with his teammates on the hallowed turf but admitted it remained a bittersweet memory.
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“I was very grateful that they included me in all of that,” Vlaeminck told Fox Cricket last month. But you still don’t feel part of it.”
“You’re not in the locker room, you’re not traveling with the girls, you’re not on the field.
“From then on I wanted to win the World Cup and get back into the World Cup squad.”
Vlaeminck’s foot injury triggered a harrowing three-year ordeal in the casualty ward that included another foot stress fracture and a bizarre shoulder dislocation while bowling for England. She watched Australia win the 2022 World Cup final from her living room with national team-mates Sophie Molineux and Georgia Wareham, both recovering from injury.
“I still remember sitting there that day watching (the final),” Vlaeminck recalled.
“It was a strange atmosphere because we were all obviously so excited that some of our best friends had won the World Cup, but we were obviously shattered that we weren’t there.”
After missing out on qualification for the T20 World Cup in South Africa last year, Vlaeminck earned a long-awaited national recall for the white-ball tour of Bangladesh in March as a replacement for the injured quick Darcie Brown.
After successfully completing the recent Australia A series in Queensland, she ended a six-year drought by being named in the 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
“It’s hard to actually put into words how excited I am for the World Cup,” said Vlaeminck.
“Back in 2018, when we played our first World Cup, it ended in West Indies and we had the best time ever. I was part of a really cool group.
“It was my first tour in Australian colors so I probably didn’t realize what a wonderful opportunity it was. They don’t always come back like that.
“That was the goal this whole pre-season, everything was moving in the direction of getting fit and healthy for the World Cup.”
During pre-season, Vlaeminck fine-tuned a new bowling move designed to ease the strain on his delicate feet while continuing to push him towards the magic 130 km/h mark. For the first time in years she is playing cricket without worrying about another foot injury.
“It’s not something you have to think about constantly,” Vlaeminck smiled.
“It was really nice to get back into the game and compete, rather than just thinking things like ‘step, step, move’ in my head.
“I went through the whole pre-season, which I don’t think I’ve done in a very long time.
“I just felt normal… I was able to go into training and do what everyone else was doing.
“It’s just nice to take some weight off your shoulders.”
Vlaeminck also developed his T20 technique, studying different variations and alternative methods of holding the ball. She hopes to become a bowler who can be called on at any time during the innings, whether during the powerplay or at the death.
“I want to get the game to a level where I can use it whenever I need it. That’s the best way to get the most out of myself and give myself the best opportunity to play for this team,” Vlaeminck continued.
“We have a lot of good bowlers so we have to be able to do everything to some extent.
“Obviously bowling with the new ball is my favorite part of the innings. It peels a little faster, shakes a little, and looks a little nicer.
“We also have some amazing death bowlers including Megan Schutt, Kim Garth and Bellsy (Annabel Sutherland). “I have to do that part, but if an interesting part comes up in the beginning, I have no complaints.”
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Vlaeminck missed Saturday’s match against Sri Lanka, with the national selectors preferring Brown for Australia’s tournament opener in Sharjah. But she is almost certain to feature in Friday evening’s match against Pakistan in Dubai at any stage of the tournament.
Brown and Vlaeminck, the fastest bowlers in Australia’s T20 World Cup squad, have never played together in the same team but are unlikely to bowl together this month due to the UAE’s slower deck.
“It would always be me resting and Darcie playing, Darcie resting and playing and then I got injured and Darcie was in the squad or vice versa,” Vlaeminck laughed.
“(It would be great to bowl with Brown.)… I’m actually really excited to be touring with her again.
“I’m not sure if the wickets in Dubai will help the pace too much, I hope so, but it would be pretty cool to play together at some point.”
Australia next face trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand in Sharjah on Wednesday, with the first match scheduled for 1am AEDT.
