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Teenage batter Phoebe Litchfield has been rewarded for her recent white-ball form by winning a place in Australia's 15-player squad for their Ashes tour of England in the middle of the year.
Litchfield impressed with the bat during three ODIs against Pakistan at the start of the year and the 19-year-old has won her way into Australia's touring party for the multi-format Ashes series that will be held in England during June and July. The all-rounder Heather Graham was replaced by the left-hander, who is the only new player on the Australian team that won a record-breaking sixth ICC Women's World Cup title in South Africa last month. In December, Garth made her debut for Australia. Being one of the pace alternatives in a bowling arsenal with several choices, she might also push for a Test debut. Cricket Australia (CA) head of performance and national selector Shawn Flegler believes Litchfield has a bright future in the game and expects the talented youngster to perform with aplomb during the Ashes series. "We've been fortunate to have a consistent side across all formats over the past couple of years and as a result we have selected a similar group to the squad which won the T20 World Cup in February," Flegler said in an official statement. "Phoebe Litchfield has taken her game to the next level in the past 12 months, we view her as a long-term player for Australia and it's pleasing to reward her progress with selection in an Ashes squad." The Ashes series commences with the one-off Test match at Trent Bridge from June 22, before three T20Is and three ODIs over an 18-day period at the start of July conclude the series. Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Alyssa Healy (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland and Georgia Wareham. (ANI)
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