Australia vice-captain Tahlia McGrath says she is “definitely under-performed” and is taking a short break from the game after what she calls the hardest stretch of her career.
The 30-year-old all-rounder endured a lean ODI World Cup, finishing with 69 runs at 13.75 and bowling only sporadically. Australia crashed out in the semi-finals to eventual champions India and, for the first time in eight years, left a global tournament without a title.
“Cricket’s a pretty brutal game and it’s very much based around confidence,” McGrath admitted. “And when it’s not going your way, the world gets pretty big on you.”
Was it the toughest period she has faced? “Probably. I think you add captaincy into that, you add time away from home,” she said. “And, obviously, when you lose a World Cup, it’s pretty hard to get over as well. It’s been a challenging time.”
Immediate schedule
• Australia’s next assignment is a home multi-format series against India in February.
• The Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction takes place in January, but McGrath has chosen not to nominate.
• South Australia resume 50-over cricket next month; McGrath plans to re-join them after Christmas.
Opting out of the WPL affords her a rare stretch at home. “As much as I was doing everything possible to get us playing some finals cricket [in the WBBL], I was hanging out for a bit of a break,” she said.
The bat remains zipped inside its cover. “There’s not much point in me picking up a bat,” she explained. “I wouldn’t achieve much. So, it’s get away from the game, go for walks along the beach, play a bit of golf, see some friends and family. And just refresh, get that energy back and put in the work after Christmas.”
Role clarity – or lack of it
Since late 2022 McGrath has deputised for Alyssa Healy on 15 occasions, while balancing a move down the order to No.7 in ODIs and No.6 in T20Is. That shuffle left her batting in only half of Australia’s World Cup fixtures, hardly ideal for a rhythm player.
“I’m a very team-first person, and love being in the XI and contributing,” she said. “I haven’t quite nailed that No.7 spot, so I probably need to go away and do a bit of work on that and make that my own first of all. Then once I can do that, try and get myself up the order.”
Selection analyst Trent Woodhill notes that batting at seven can feel “hidden” in women’s ODIs because there is less late-innings carnage than in the men’s game. “If Australia lose only two wickets you might not bat at all,” he told ABC radio last week. That limited exposure magnifies every failure, and McGrath had little chance to rebuild confidence once the World Cup began.
Eye on leadership, but not yet
Healy remains captain for now, yet Cricket Australia see McGrath and Ashleigh Gardner as natural successors. Self-doubt, however, can skew that conversation. Sports psychologist Lisa Stevens believes a short, complete disconnect is often the quickest route back. “Elite players need to remind themselves why they play rather than what they’re producing,” she said.
What happens next?
McGrath’s plan is simple: step away, then return for state duties in January, before linking up with the national squad. A T20 World Cup in England looms in June; a settled, confident McGrath will be central to Australia’s push to regain silverware.
For now, the vice-captain is content to acknowledge that even the best hit rough patches. “It’s properly distancing myself at the moment,” she said, collar turned up against an Adelaide sea breeze. The game will still be there after Christmas; so will her determination to master that No.7 slot – and perhaps one day the captaincy – on her own terms.
