Australian women’s team pacer Lauren Cheatle has been ruled out of the second edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL 2024) after undergoing a medical procedure as part of treatment for skin cancer on her neck. She will miss the remainder of the ongoing season as well.
The 25-year old was set to ply her trade for Gujarat Giants after the franchise secured her services at her base price of Rs 30 lakh in the auction last year. However, Lauren Cheatle would not be able to join the Gujarat-based outfit to play in WPL 2024 as she will be recovering after the medical procedure.
Her last appearance in a competitive game came against the Australian Capital Territory Women’s team in the Women’s National Cricket League on January 30, where she finished with figures of 3-18. Before that, she had impressed in the Women’s Big Bash League too, claiming 21 wickets in 14 games while playing for Sydney Sixers.
“Cheatle is aiming to return to training with NSW following the players’ scheduled off-season break,” a Cricket New South Wales statement said.
Lauren Cheatle has had several surgeries throughout her career. In 2021, Lauren Cheatle had to undergo a similar procedure on her leg. She has also been dealing with a shoulder issue and has undergone multiple reconstructive surgeries for it.
“My body’s been through a lot and I’ve been through that journey, but I’m super excited to get that call to head over to India. (The) fourth shoulder (reconstruction) was pretty difficult and also the cancer scare. I feel like that came out of nowhere and really readjusted the way I thought 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,” Cheatle had said in November last year.
Lauren Cheatle’s career in numbers:
Lauren Cheatle has already represented Australia in all the three formats. She has played one Test, 4 ODIs and 7 T20Is so far, taking a total of 7 wickets in international cricket. She made her Test debut against India in Mumbai last December. It was a forgettable debut as she went wicketless after bowling nine overs and her team suffered an eight-wicket defeat.
Meanwhile, WPL 2024 is scheduled to begin on February 23. The tournament will be held in Delhi and Bengaluru.
