THE 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham are only a matter of weeks away, and Cricket is making its triumphant return to the schedule at these Games. In preparation, we will be taking a look at each of the nations competing at these Games and see how they stack up.

Today we begin the preview series with the reigning T20 World Champions Australia. It is fair enough to say Australia come into this tournament as the team to beat.

Not only are the Aussies the reigning One Day International World Champions from earlier this year, but crucially they are also the reigning T20 World Champions. It is hard to imagine anyone will forget the scenes from the MCG in March 2020 before the world turned upside down (well maybe unless you are an Indian fan).

With one of the best batters in the world in Meg Lanning at the helm, complimented by the big hitting Alyssa Healy and Rachael Haynes, it is always a daunting task coming up against the Australians.

Even the likes Grace Harris and Alana King, who were not in the team back in 2020 but have grown in stature in the past few years, have come into the team and just added even more dangerous elements to the line up.

The only question mark for the Australians surrounds Ellyse Perry. The superstar allrounder missed a large chunk of the One Day World Cup and is still recovering from those injuries that kept her out of that tournament. As much as Perry not playing is always going to be a huge out, Megan Schutt is back in the mix now and firing on all cylinders, and the likes of Darcie Brown can more than capably step up and take Perry’s place.

Australia has won tournaments without Perry before, so there is no reason to think the Aussies cannot do it again. In terms of Australia’s opponents in the group stage, the Aussies have arguably found themselves in the easier group, but also the group with less predictabilities.

India was the only team to beat the Aussies at the World Cup two years ago, while Pakistan are not a regular opponent of Australia outside major tournaments. The Australians are currently in the middle of a tri series with the Pakistanis and Irish, so that series will certainly give the Aussies a good inside into the Pakistanis.

As for Barbados, Australia usually faces the West Indies as a collective so there may be many new faces for the Aussies, but two faces in that side they will definitely recognise are Deandra Dottin and Hayley Matthews, who are two of the most dangerous T20 batters in the world.

Australian Squad

Meg Lanning (captain), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington

Australia’s Schedule

Friday 29 July – India

Sunday 31 July – Barbados

Wednesday 3 August – Pakistan