Women's World Cup 2022: Australia's Hannah Darlington pulls out due to mental health reasons

In what can be called a major blow for the Australian team, all-rounder Hannah Darlington has decided to opt out the Women’s ODI World Cup 2022 citing mental health and well-being reasons. The 20-year-old fast bowler was selected as a reserve player for the tournament and would have taken the field, in case of unavailability of squad players.

Meanwhile, Darlington will be replaced by all-rounder Heather Graham. The last few months were pretty significant for Darlington as she led Sydney Thunder in the Women’s Big Bash League after Rachael Haynes missed the tournament. It also must be noted that Darlington also became the youngest captain in New South Wales’s 165-year history, when she led her state in a tied WNCL clash against Tasmania in February 2021.

Hannah Darlington made her international debut in 2021

With Darlington taking such roles in the early stages of her professional career, many are even viewing her as the next big thing in Australian cricket. However, her withdrawal from the tournament is not the greatest piece of news for the Aussie team. Meanwhile, Darlington made her ODI and T20I debut in the home series against India last year.

However, she couldn’t a find a place in the Ashes squad, where the Aussies retained the urn amid a drawn one-off Test. Meanwhile, Meg Lanning’s Australia will chase their record seventh title in the 2022 edition of the gala tournament, which takes place in New Zealand. Having lifted the glorious title last in 2013, the Women in Yellow couldn’t replicate their heroics in the 2017 edition, which saw England winning the silverware.

However, the Aussies have been doing well in white-ball cricket lately and expectations are sky high from them. Australia even won the last ICC event in women’s cricket, the T20 World Cup in 2020. Meanwhile, all teams will undergo a 10-day quarantine on arrival in New Zealand before the World Cup gets under way on March 4.

Australia’s World Cup squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington.

Travelling reserves:Heather Graham, Georgia Redmayne.