Megan Schutt thought her one-day work for Australia was done—then the phone rang. Two injuries on the eve of the India series meant a 6 am flight, a quick re-fit of the green and gold, and a brand-new ball in her hand at Bellerive. Second delivery, classic inswinger, Pratika Rawal trapped in front. Australia went on to win by six wickets, squaring the multi-format contest at 2-2.
“I’ve been joking with them … that they can’t get rid of me that easily,” Schutt told reporters after landing in Hobart for the next two ODIs. “Nice to be back in the squad and back in the team as well. Obviously, just making an impact with the new ball is what I was brought in to do.”
Schutt sits third on Australia’s all-time ODI wicket list, yet her place has felt shaky. Before last year’s World Cup—where she managed five wickets in six outings—she said, “I’ve no intentions on hanging around for another four years.” The 2029 tournament, by her own estimation, will arrive without her. That long horizon, though, is easy to forget when she is still nipping one back through the gate.
Selection for the T20 side has been even tighter. She did not play a single match in the recent 3-0 loss to India, a decision she admits stung. “Extra pace was the main one against the Indian side,” she explained. “And I understand. It’s obviously disappointing sitting on the sidelines, but it’s part of the job that you do … you’ve still got to really support your team and run the drinks well and try not to be too sour about it.”
She adds that honest conversations with coaches left her frustrated only briefly: “I had my moments with the coaching staff when I was told, but apart from that you crack on. It’s part of the job. And you’ve just got to take the chance when it comes.”
This latest chance arrived because Kim Garth (back) and Ellyse Perry (hamstring) were ruled out. Coach Shelley Nitschke wanted a steady head with the new ball and a bit of outswing as insurance at the death. Schutt provided both, conceding just 26 from her eight overs.
Australia also drafted in 19-year-old left-arm quick Lucy Hamilton, already earmarked for the Perth Test. Schutt likes what she sees. “She’s a good kid,” the senior seamer said. “She’s just got her head screwed on and I think when I was that age, I definitely did not. That’s probably the difference of the next generation coming through … they’ve got the work ethic, they’ve got the talent, but they’ve got the perspective too, which is really nice. And, obviously, the X-factor of the left [armer] coming into the squad is really awesome.”
For now, the veteran and the rookie share a dressing-room. Whether Schutt boards the plane to the West Indies next month, or the one to England for the T20 World Cup later in the year, remains to be seen. She is not banking on it. But on a damp Tasmanian afternoon she reminded everyone—selectors included—that experience still swings.
