Darcie Brown has been ruled out of Australia’s tour of Bangladesh, which comprises three ODIs followed by as many T20Is, starting 21 March. The Aussie pacer was diagnosed with a foot stress injury and there is currently no set timeline for her return.

This throws Australia’s plans for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 – scheduled to be played in Bangladesh in September-October – into disarray, especially with regards to their fast-bowling unit.

Brown was Australia's third-highest wicket-taker in their last T20 World Cup campaign in 2023, which they won in South Africa. She was recently celebrated as one of ICC 100% Cricket Superstars.

The 21-year-old was originally scheduled to fly out to Dhaka on Saturday, however, she will now remain in Adelaide after her scans revealed that she has sustained a stress injury to the navicular bone in her left foot, which is the front foot used in her bowling action.

No replacement has been named in Australia’s 15-member squad, and Grace Harris, who was initially selected only for the T20I leg of the tour, will now be available for the entirety of it.

Brown's absence would put an added responsibility on Tayla Vlaeminck in the pace-bowling department. Vlaeminck, too, has suffered major setbacks in the past with serious navicular stress injuries. She is returning to the international fold after recovering from a shoulder injury, for the first time since January 2022.

The series commences on 21 March with the ODI leg, followed by T20Is. All the matches will be played at Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. 

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath (vc), Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Tayla Vlaeminck