But in last season’s WBBL he played all 15 matches for the Sydney Sixers and so far this campaign he is their leading wicket-taker with 19 at 13.68 in 10 matches, while he is now confident that his body is not will let her down.
“I thought the green and gold were probably already behind me, not that I wanted to stop trying,” he said. “I think the game has come a long way and you can see that the talent that is emerging is getting better and better. They are one of the best teams in world sport, not just cricket, so to be able to be among those 16 is [something] I’m really proud.
“My body has been through a lot and I’ve been through that journey, but I’m very excited to get that call to go to India.”
The need for a fourth shoulder operation in late 2021 tested Cheatle’s spirit to go through the rehabilitation process again, while cancer earlier that year, which required the removal of a melanoma, was the biggest problem. scary thing he had to face. He previously spoke about how waiting for confirmation that the cancer had not spread was the longest seven days of his life.
“[The] fourth shoulder [reconstruction] It was quite difficult and also the cancer scare. I feel like that came out of nowhere and really reset my way of thinking about injuries and recovery. That was a really scary point in my career, one I never thought I’d face… it’s one that will never go away.
“The frustration of another shoulder reconstruction after having gone through three was pretty big and I felt like there was no point in doing it again if I was going to hurt it again. But we took the time to rehab it properly and made all the right decisions.
Lauren Cheatle had the rare experience of a three-day match in England earlier this year.•PA Photos/Getty Images
“I think professional sport presents you with a lot of different challenges. I feel like my journey has also presented me with a few more… but the people who supported me throughout the process have been incredible and are one of the main reasons why I keep going “.
Cheatle will only be part of the Test leg of the upcoming tour and whether she makes her debut in the format will depend on the balance of the team Australia opt for and potentially whether she is preferred ahead of Kim Garth or Darcie Brown.
Multi-day cricket is rare in women’s football and Cheatle’s experience of it equates to two tour matches, the most recent being for Australia A earlier this year in England, when the team toured at the same time than the Ashes.
“[It’s about] be more patient with the red ball and accumulate bigger overs,” he said. “In [the T20] format you get one or two [overs] here and there and you don’t really have time to put on performances consistently. The hitters are obviously coming in a lot harder. [in T20] and you set up a hitter very differently and have more time to work on plans.
“It will be interesting to move from T20 cricket to red-ball cricket, but I think the basics are the same in either format.
“I really enjoyed those three-day games and I love bowling. The more I play, the happier I am, so I’d like to think it’s a format I could adapt to, but it’s also a format I’d love to see come into the game.” female, either two or three days. “I think it’s a format that could really excel in women’s cricket.”
She admitted to not having many details about what the next few weeks will look like in terms of preparation, as she was overwhelmed by the news of her retirement and then had an emotional conversation with her family.
“During those two calls, I’m not really sure what was said. They were very happy, they were talking through tears, then when they cry, I cry, so it was an emotional phone call, but happy tears.”
Andrew McGlashan is deputy editor of ESPNcricinfo
