Who is Tahlia McGrath?

Tahlia McGrath is a women cricketer who represents Australia at international stage. She is a batting allrounder who is a right handed batter and bowls right-arm medium. Despite testing positive for Covid-19, the Australian participated in the Commonwealth Games 2022 gold-medal match against India.

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During the playing of the national anthems, McGrath did not stand with her teammates and was instead observed sitting alone in the grandstand in a face mask while the other Australian players sat in their dugout. She nevertheless entered to bat at No. 4 without a mask. 

This is in spite of Austrlia’s COVID-19 protocols. The country’s cricketers have adhered to some of the toughest Covid-19 prevention guidelines among Birmingham’s athletes, donning face masks throughout all post-match press conferences and at all times other than when they are in their rooms or working out. They have also been prohibited from attending other Games athletic activities.

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Who is Tahlia McGrath?

McGrath was born on November 10, 1995 in Adelaide, Australia. On November 27, 2016, she played in her first Women’s One Day International cricket match against South Africa.

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Once a breakthrough star for Australia, she was even compared to Elllyse Perry. However she suffered various injuries and setbacks and was ultimately left out of the Australia’s squad for the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup. McGrath was added back to the team after she was selected for Australia’s squad for the Women’s Ashes. She was picked for both the Test team and the WODI squad. She recorded her first international wicket against England in the second WODI on October 26, 2017.

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On November 9, 2017, during The Women’s Ashes, she played her first Test match for Australia Women against England Women. She was included in the Adelaide Strikers roster for the 2018–19 Women’s Big Bash League season in November 2018. She received a contract with Cricket Australia in April 2019 to play for the National Performance Squad during the 2019–20 season. Prior to the 2020–21 season, Cricket Australia gave McGrath a central contract in April 2020. 

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She made her Women’s Twenty20 International (WT20I) debut on 7 October 2021, for Australia against India. McGrath was selected to play for Australia in the Women’s Ashes series against England in January 2022. McGrath became the first Australian all-rounder to take three wickets and score more than 75 runs in a WT20I game in the series’ opening WT20I game, ending with 3-26 and an unbeaten 91 off 49 balls. After hitting 225 runs and collecting 11 wickets during the Women’s Ashes, McGrath was voted Player of the Series.

McGrath was also selected for Australia’s team for the 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand in January 2022. She was purchased by the Southern Brave in April 2022 in preparation for the upcoming English season of The Hundred. In the month that followed, McGrath was selected for the Australian cricket team to compete at the Birmingham, England, 2022 Commonwealth Games.