Heartbroken Villani wants to continue growing

Villani was also not part of the XI in the multi-format Ashes series in England last month. "It’s the perfect opportunity for me to invest some time in myself," the 29-year-old told cricket.com.au, after her exclusion.

Villani now wants to focus her energies on domestic cricket and use it to make her case for next year's T20 World Cup on home soil. She will turn up for Victoria in the Women's National Cricket League and for the Melbourne Stars in the Women's Big Bash League.

This is not the first time that Villani, who had been a regular in the side since 2016, has been dropped in her 10-year international career. But she has always found a way back in, on the basis of consistent performances. Nevertheless, the road back won't be an easy one.

Since her T20 international debut in 2009, Villani has scored 1369 runs in the format, with a best of 90*. However, she hasn't turned up in T20I colours since November last year. She was a part of Australia's 2018 T20 World Cup-winning squad, but did not perform well in the tournament.

"I firmly believe I can take my game to another level, so spend this next little period ensuring I’m doing everything I can do to do that," she said. "Hopefully, it’s enough to get me back in the fold of things, but if not, I guess I‘m in a better spot all the same."

In trying to make her way back to the national squad, however, Villani does not want to put any unnecessary pressure on herself that might take away from the joy of playing the game.

"I’m not looking to put too much pressure on myself to score runs," she said. "I think the most important thing for me is improvement and growth within my own game and making sure I’m enjoying the journey. I don’t want to get too fixated on the outcome, I want to enjoy the process."