Australian pacer Lauren Cheatle, who has had an injury-ridden career so far, is set to be out of action for a considerable period after getting skin cancer removed from her neck on Wednesday, January 31. This is not the first time that Cheatle has undergone surgery as she went under the knife in 2021 for a similar operation on her leg. The procedure has ruled Cheatle out of the remaining Women's National Cricket League (WNCL) matches for the New South Wales and the 2024 edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL).
"Cheatle is aiming to return to training with NSW following the players' scheduled off-season break," Cricket NSW said in a statement. Cheatle, who recently made her Test debut for Australia against India in December 2023, was set to make her debut in the WPL after being picked by the Gujarat Giants in the auction. However, the 25-year-old left-arm pacer is now set to be on the sidelines for a few months and will be targeting a comeback in the off-season prior to the season start in September.
Cheatle, who had made her debut for Australia in ODIs and T20Is in 2017 has been injury-prone given three shoulder reconstructions since then. Cheatle has played just four ODIs and seven T20Is so far in her short career. The surgery means she will also miss the upcoming one-off Test between Australia Women and South Africa Women.
The Giants, on the other hand, finished last in the five-team competition in the inaugural WPL season and will be hoping for a better show. Giants will be seeking a replacement to fill their fast bowling stocks for the second season as they begin their campaign on February 25 against the defending champions Mumbai Indians.
Gujarat Giants squad for WPL 2024: Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner, Laura Wolvaardt, Dayalan Hemalatha, Harleen Deol, Sneh Rana, Tanuja Kanwer, Shabnam Shakil, Phoebe Litchfield, Priya Mishra, Veda Krishnamurthy, Trisha Poojitha, Kathryn Bryce, Tarannum Pathan, Kashvee Gautam, Mannat Kashyap, Meghna Singh
