Australia’s Southern Stars women’s cricket team will be looking to build on a successful summer on their tour of India, one of the other frontrunners for two major international tournaments.
The squad of 14, who leave Australia on Tuesday, will contest three limited-overs games and five Twenty20 matches against India from March 10-23.
The tour will provide the Australians with good competition before the 2012 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 and next year’s ICC Women’s World Cup.
India and Australia last met in the one-day international quadrangular Series in England last July when the Southern Stars won their pool match.
Australian captain Jodie Fields was looking forward to the opportunity of facing a strong Indian side on their home grounds.
“We will be hoping to build on our recent success against New Zealand where we retained the Rose Bowl and claimed the T20 series,” Fields said.
“The unchanged squad has a good mixture of youth and experience and the tour will provide an opportunity for the younger players in particular to gain important international experience and preparation for playing two big tournaments in the sub-continent.
“This tour will provide us with some vital match practice against some of the best women’s cricketers in the world as we continue our preparations to defend the ICC World Twenty20 title in September.”
The squad contains seven players aged 22 or under, including dual international Ellyse Perry, who has also represented Australia at senior level in football.
Veteran allrounder Lisa Sthalekar is the only player aged over 30.
Southern Stars: Jodie Fields (Qld, capt), Alex Blackwell (NSW), Jess Cameron (Vic), Sarah Coyte (NSW), Rachael Haynes (NSW), Alyssa Healy (NSW), Julie Hunter (Vic), Jessica Jonassen (Qld), Meg Lanning (Vic), Sharon Millanta (NSW), Erin Osborne (NSW), Ellyse Perry (NSW), Leah Poulton (NSW), Lisa Sthalekar (NSW).