Mel Jones Hails Georgia Voll as a Rising Star in Australian Cricket
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New Delhi, Dec 4 (NationPress) Former Australian cricketer Mel Jones believes that Georgia Voll is on the brink of becoming a remarkable talent for the team in the forthcoming ODI series against India. She emphasized that the batting sensation demonstrated her fearlessness during this year's WBBL, proving that nothing intimidates her.
Georgia is set to open the batting alongside Pheobe Litchfield in the ODI series opener against India at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane on Thursday, stepping in for the injured captain Alyssa Healy. In this year's WBBL, Georgia accumulated 330 runs in 12 matches at an impressive strike-rate of 144.73 while playing for the Sydney Thunder.
“Georgia Voll has shown in the WBBL that nothing fazes her. Scoring 97 not out at the MCG in a run chase is quite remarkable. We are indeed in a transition phase, but considering the depth of domestic cricketers, I believe Shelley Nitschke and the team can handle it confidently,” Mel stated on Fox Cricket’s Follow On podcast.
Discussing the ongoing transition period for Australia, Mel, who has played five Tests and 61 ODIs, expressed that the leadership potential of Pheobe and Annabel Sutherland bodes well for the current ODI World Cup champions.
“It’s a time of transition that they have anticipated for several years, which explains why Annabel Sutherland is leading the Melbourne Stars this season, Pheobe Litchfield is at the helm of the Sydney Thunder, and Sophie Molineux has been captaining the Melbourne Renegades for several years now.
“When examining the leadership transition, they must be pleased with having three strong leaders who are still growing, yet are exceptional cricketers with sharp cricket minds. They could seamlessly step up either through planned changes or due to injuries. They have done impressively well in this regard.”
On another note, Mel expressed some concerns regarding the depth of fast bowlers in Australia, particularly after Tayla Vlaeminck was sidelined for the rest of the summer due to a shoulder injury sustained during the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE.
“There has been some worry surrounding the pace attack with Vlaeminck out due to a shoulder injury, and Darcie Brown has been managing hip issues throughout the WBBL. So, when it comes to the quicks, there are some concerns,” she noted.
“However, Chloe Ainsworth and Lucy Hamilton are emerging talents, potentially stepping into games sooner than expected. But that’s the nature of the sport; opportunities arise and you must seize them. Our spinners are in good shape, and the batting lineup is also progressing well,” she concluded.
