Australian pacer Tayla Vlaeminck suffered a serious injury during her side's T20 World Cup game against Pakistan on Friday, dislocating her right shoulder.
Australia captain Alyssa Healy won the toss in Dubai and chose to field first in both sides' penultimate group stage match of the tournament. Healy confirmed at the toss that the defending champions had made one change to their lineup, drafting in pacer Tayla Vlaeminck for Grace Harris.
Vlaeminck last represented Australia at a World Cup in November 2018, against India in Providence in a match that was also her T20I debut. She bowled two overs that day, for nine runs, but Australia ended up conceding 167 in the first innings before going on to lose by 48 runs.
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On her return, however, Vlaeminck's match ended even before she got the ball in hand. Off the fourth delivery of the innings, Megan Schutt drew an edge from Muneeba Ali which trickled away towards the boundary. Vlaeminck, in hot pursuit, attempted to slide and stop the ball but as she did so her knee stuck in the turf, and her right arm overextended.
She did save two runs for her side, but stayed down once the ball had been returned to the bowler and Australia's medical staff arrived on the scene. She left the field, to be replaced by Darcie Brown.
Midway through the innings, Australia provided an update on Vlaeminck, confirming that the bowler had indeed dislocated her shoulder, but that it had been relocated. The extent of the injury, however, is yet to be determined.
This injury is the latest blow in an injury-hit career for the 25-year-old. Australia have won all three T20 World Cups since 2018, but she was only part of the first, due in large part to repeated injuries.
After Vlaeminck left the field, Australia went on to bowl Pakistan out for 82, and give themselves a real chance of securing qualification to the semi-finals with one game to spare.
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