New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) Australia vice-captain Tahlia McGrath while explaining why she chose not to take part in this year’s The Hundred, said that she believes playing with Australia A in Brisbane against India A this week will be an ideal preparation for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in India, starting September 30.

While the majority of Australia’s likely World Cup squad are currently plying their trade in the ECB’s 100-ball tournament, McGrath is one of five CA-contracted players included in the 50-over squad to meet India A in three ODIs, alongside skipper Alyssa Healy, allrounder Tess Flintoff and quicks Darcie Brown and Kim Garth, from August 13 to 17.

“It’s the longest time off I’ve had in a number of years, so it was nice to go tools down for a bit, get a proper reset, proper refresh. It’s been a really nice build-in to work on some things, to spend some time in Brissy with the girls with some camps, and then finish off the preseason with some Aus A games, which is in my eyes the perfect prep leading into a World Cup. (I’m) still at home, I get to trial a few things, and it’s in the fifty-over format as well,” McGrath told cricket.com.au.

Australia women had a long winter layoff, as their last series was a three-game T20I tour of New Zealand in March, when McGrath stepped into the leadership role in the absence of regular captain Alyssa Healy.

Now they have a daunting travel schedule across the next nine months. Australia’s first World Cup match is now 50 days away, and the team is set to spend up to seven weeks in India, beginning with a three-match ODI series before the start of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. If Australia reaches the final, the players will have just a four-day break before the Women’s Big Bash League starts on November 9.

McGrath is also expected to return to India in January for the Women’s Premier League, which will be followed by consecutive multi-format series – first against India at home, then against the West Indies away.

Around six weeks after the end of the Caribbean trip, Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign will begin in England.

–IANS

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