Behind the stunning rise of Australian cricket star Phoebe Litchfield

“If you think about it like that, it can be a little bit overwhelming, but if you’re just going out there to enjoy yourself and express yourself then you sort of forget that’s what’s happening. It seems like she’s naturally made to do it and looks very comfortable. I enjoy watching her play; she’s a breath of fresh air.” When Litchfield debuted for Australia in late 2022, she looked as though she had already been playing international cricket for years. In a way this was true – the battles with Charles were as fierce as any among the myriad backyard tales that have led to the baggy green. “Sometimes me and my brother would play little Test matches. He was six years older than me, so he’d flog me and I’d be bowling all day, and then probably bat for five balls and he’d get me out,” Litchfield said. “I played literally every sport on that tennis court. Our dad put a cricket pitch in the corner, so we played cricket for hours on that pitch. I was definitely so lucky to have that, because I reckon my skills were just fast-tracked by the amount of cricket I played there.

“We’d watch the Test in the morning then come out for the lunch break and try to bat like Ricky Ponting or Michael Clarke.” Fun, of course, will not be ever present over a professional career. Litchfield has had her share of struggles this year, notably after fetching a $182,000 auction fee for the women’s IPL, where she played for Gujarat Giants but finished a long way behind Lanning and Ellyse Perry in the tournament aggregates. Litchfield notched an ODI century in India in January. Credit: AP At the World Cup, provided she shakes off a groin niggle, Litchfield will play a pivotal middle order role for the Australians, either capitalising on a strong start or repairing a poor one. Those reverses in India will provide helpful lessons in terms of both technique and mentality. “It was challenging,” Litchfield said. “At the back of a long season and I probably hadn’t scored as many runs as I wanted in the Australian summer, then heading over there with the price tag on you, you feel a bit of external pressure, and to not score runs in that tournament as well, it was a bit difficult at times.

“I asked Pez the other day, ‘Do you still enjoy training?’, because she’s been training for so long and she’s one of the hardest workers, and she still loves it. And I go like, ‘OK, even though you play this game all year round and the schedule has got so crazy, it’s the love of the game that gets you through.’ “I always just think I could be working a nine-to-five job and I go wow I’m so lucky to travel the world and play cricket. Even though it is so jam packed these days, it’s kind of the life I dreamed of, so I can’t be complaining.” Litchfield had her eye on the ball from an early age. Lanning knows a thing or two about finding the right balance in the game, having been thrust into leadership positions when she was Litchfield’s age. She has counselled against pushing too hard, too soon. “Just trying to not overload yourself early is important,” Lanning said. “Make sure you’re ready to play in the big games and tournaments, and just try to keep enjoying the game as much as you can and not try to take it too seriously too early.

Loading “It looked at times like she was putting a lot of pressure on herself to perform well all the time and have really high expectations. Keeping that perspective is important. “The one thing I’ve always thought about Pheebs is that she’s respectful but she’s also got confidence. She came into the team not like she already knew everything and wanted to take over, but at the same time she didn’t seem daunted, and I really like that about her.” To that end, Litchfield has one eye outside the game, studying media production and setting herself the goal of getting into sports documentaries one day. That, by the way, is another element of her Orange days: sitting at home between high school classes and watching season one of The Test. “The Test documentary was awesome, I loved the way they portrayed that – I was at school still and watching it on the TV at home,” she said. “Drive to Survive and The Last Dance are probably my other favourite ones. Love watching those and the Tillies as well. I’m kinda a fan of all sports really.”

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