Australia’s star pacer Tayla Vlaeminck will be missing her second successive WBBL season due to a left shoulder surgery.
As per a report in cricket.com.au, Cricket Australia confirmed Tayla, regarded as one of the fastest bowlers in women’s cricket, underwent surgery to stabilise her left shoulder, her non-bowling arm, following a dislocation she suffered while bowling for Australia A in their last 50-over game on the trip to England in July.
“The innocuous action that led to the dislocation and the likelihood of it reoccurring meant CA’s medical staff determined having surgery to stabilise the joint was the best path forward for the 24-year-old,” it added.
That match was Tayla’s first game of competitive cricket after being on the sidelines for 18 months due to a stress fracture in the navicular bone in her right foot, which needed extensive rehabilitation.
That injury initially kept her out of Australia’s victorious 2020 T20 World Cup campaign at home on the eve of the competition. But a recurrence of the injury during the 2021-22 home Women’s Ashes saw her miss Australia’s winning campaigns in 2022 ODI World Cup, Birmingham Commonwealth Games, and this year’s T20 World Cup in South Africa, apart from last year’s WBBL.
The report added that Tayla has already started rehab but will not be available for selection for Australia’s upcoming home white-ball series against West Indies, with clarity of dates on her return to the game.
Tayla has represented Australia in 15 T20Is and eight ODIs since her international debut in 2018. Apart from missing the Melbourne Renegades’ campaign in the upcoming WBBL season, she will also be absent from the start of the domestic 50-over season.
“We’re disappointed for Tayla; she has shown incredible resilience and perseverance throughout injury setbacks over the past few years and worked hard to earn her spot on the Australia A tour. We will continue to work collaboratively with Cricket Victoria’s high performance staff to support Tayla over the course of her rehabilitation,” said Shawn Flegler, CA head of performance.