Leg-sinner Alana King hasn’t given up hope of representing her country at this year’s T20 World Cup despite her “disappointing” omission from Australia’s T20 squad to face India.
The 30-year-old, named player of the Women’s Ashes last summer, was Australia’s second-leading wicket-taker during the recent World Cup campaign in India, taking record-breaking figures of 7-18 against South Africa in Indore.
However, the wrist spinner missed selection for Australia’s three-match T20 series against India, which commences at the SCG on Sunday, dropped in favour of fellow leggie Georgia Wareham.
King claimed six wickets at 16.33 with an economy rate of 7.53 in T20Is last year, but there was no room for her in a 14-player squad that also features captain Sophie Molineux and all-rounder Ash Gardner.
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“It’s always disappointing when you miss out on a squad, especially in a pretty big series against India,” King told Fox Cricket.
“Not much I can do about that. It is what it is.
“You can’t fit everyone into the squad, let alone the XI.”
She added: “I’m always trying to keep evolving my game, keep getting better and keep putting my hand up.
“It’s a hard one. I just think it’s the make-up of the squads and everything like that. You can only fit so many people in a squad.”
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Australia only has six T20Is scheduled until the next edition of the T20 World Cup, which commences in the United Kingdom in June, but King doesn’t want to look too far ahead, preferring to focus on her short-term duties.
“I can control what I can control, and that’s trying to put on good performances when I can and train really well and keep having those open conversations with the coaching staff and the selection panel,” she continued.
“You’ve got to turn the disappointment into a bit of fuel and try to keep knocking the door down whenever the opportunity comes.
“We’ll see after the series what happens, but I can’t look too far ahead at the T20 World Cup. There’s so much cricket to be played before that.”
King recently recovered from a fractured little finger she sustained during the second match of this season’s WBBL with the Perth Scorchers, where she claimed 12 wickets at 28.16, making it her least prolific Big Bash campaign in six years.
The Victoria-born West Australian confessed the wounded digit “definitely” restricted her bowling during the T20 competition, but clarified it “should be good to go” for the India series.
“I never thought that a little pinkie would play a pretty big part in how I bowled leg spin,” King said.
“It affected it quite a bit. I just didn’t have any control on the ball.
“It was pretty frustrating for me not to contribute as much as I could for the Scorchers.
“But as the tournament went on, my pain tolerance grew a little bit, so by the end of it I was able to give it a fizz as much as I could.”
She added with a smile: “Hopefully I don’t break any more fingers.”
India are the reigning world champions having eliminated Australia in last year’s World Cup semi-final before defeating South Africa in the tournament decider. Speaking at the Governor-General’s Morning Tea Reception at Admiralty House on Thursday morning, head coach Amol Muzumdar confessed that he still watches YouTube highlights of India’s record run chase against Australia.
For the first time in nearly a decade, Australia isn’t in possession of either major ICC trophies.
“We’re playing the world champs, we’re not going to hide from that,” said King, who trained alongside several of India’s players during the recent Women’s Premier League campaign, including Delhi Capitals captain Jemimah Rodrigues.
“We know our best is going to be the best in the world.
“India are a formidable team to play against and the series is going to be a great rivalry. It’s going to be pretty heated, it’s going to be fiery and I think that’s what brings the best out of both teams.”
The multi-format series against India concludes with a four-day Test at the WACA, King’s home ground since migrating from Victoria in 2020. She wants the Perth venue, which was recently redeveloped, to host women’s international cricket “every summer”.
“I absolutely love it,” she declared.
“It provides a great contest for bat and ball. Being a little bit biased now, being a Perth local, but I think a game every summer at the WACA is going to be tremendous for the women’s game.”
King has been forced to develop her top-spinner since switching allegiances, with the WACA’s hard deck providing additional bounce that she can exploit. Although the venue traditionally favours fast bowlers, she’s adapted to the conditions by expanding her variation deliveries.
“When I was moving over to WA, a lot of people were a bit sceptical that spin wasn’t really going to play a part at the WACA, but I think that’s helped me develop the way I bowl,” she explained.
“The extra bounce is great. I’m not really a tall person, but everyone knows that.”
Sunday’s T20 series opener in Sydney will be Molineux’s first opportunity to lead her country since being named Australia’s multi-format captain, taking over from Alyssa Healy. King, who played alongside Molineux during her time at Victoria, described the 28-year-old as an “incredible leader”.
“She’s a tremendous person,” King said.
“For her to take the reins after Midge, I think it’s an exciting time for the Australian team. I know everyone’s excited for her, and I think she’s pretty keen to get out there and make it her own.
“She just wants to be Sophie. We all love Sophie for who she is, and I’m just excited for her to enter this new chapter. It’s going to drive her a lot more.
“She’s very measured in the way she goes about things tactically.
“I’m excited to have her as a skipper. I’m pumped for her.”
Healy will captain Australia during the three ODIs and lone Test against India, her final four appearances in the national side. The wicketkeeper, who led her country on 58 occasions following Meg Lanning’s retirement in 2023, steps away from the game following a 16-year international career headlined with six T20 World Cup titles, also lifting the Women’s World Cup in New Zealand in 2022.
She represented Australia 295 times across formats, scoring 7106 runs and completing 275 dismissals with the gloves.
“You can’t really put into words what Midge has done for this side over the 16 years that she’s played for international cricket,” King said.
“Her fiery edge that she has in the Australian team, her want to win every game and every contest, we’re going to miss that no doubt, but I think hopefully we can put on a really good performance for her and hopefully she can leave the game with another trophy in her cabinet.
“I’m definitely going to miss someone who gets pretty fired up behind the stumps and just having her wanting to get into the contest.”
The women’s T20 series opener between Australia and India gets underway at the SCG on Sunday, with the first ball scheduled for 7.15pm AEDT.
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