WI vs Aus 2025-26 – Alana King’s T20I return highlights Australia’s selection crunch

Alana King has given Australia’s selectors much to ponder ahead of the T20 World Cup later this year after returning to the format with a decisive spell of 3 for 14 in the first match against West Indies in St Vincent.

King was left out of the T20I series against India last month and the selectors have been clear they see Georgia Wareham as the No. 1 legspinner in the T20 side but King’s haul, which included the key wickets of Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin, has pushed her case to be a first-choice pick.

King was used inside the powerplay while Wareham, whose defensive skills are often cited by the selectors as an important element of her game, was the seventh bowler used by captain Sophie Molineux.

“I’ve said this before, but they [the selectors] have given me some feedback a few years ago when I took it to my stride and got some great exposure at the Perth Scorchers and they’ve helped me become a three-phase bowler,” King said.

“So, no doubt the selectors know what I can do and I think the team knows what I can do. It’s always nice to contribute to good wins and playing a real versatile role. I’m trying not to be just a middle over bowler, especially in the T20.”

King’s T20I career has been stop start: she went nearly two years without an appearance in the format before being recalled last season where she claimed six wickets in five matches against England and New Zealand. The sample size is small, but since the start of 2025, King has the second best strike-rate in T20Is for Australia.

However, in those matches last year Molineux was unavailable due to injury and with her now leading the side it has added a further squeeze on spin-bowling slots. The notion of four spinners in an XI has been floated – they were all selected in St Vincent but Molineux did not bowl on her return from a back injury – however King is realistic about the prospect of that at the World Cup in England.

“I’d love to [see four spinners], but I don’t think that’s going to be the case with the T20 World Cup,” she said. “I think it’s all going to be conditions-based and we’ll wait and see, but any chance that I can get the ball in my hand, I’m absolutely stoked.

“I can only control what I can control and when given that opportunity I’m glad that I can take it. Hopefully I keep getting those opportunities and putting my hand up, but I’ll focus on this series at the moment before we look forward to the World Cup.”

The T20I series against West Indies is played across just six days with the second match on Saturday (local time) and the final game on Monday before the teams travel to St Kitts for three ODIs.

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