General manager Trent Copeland said it “feels right” that the 20-year-old should lead the side
Phoebe Litchfield will take on the Sydney Thunder captaincy • Getty Images
The rapid progression of Phoebe Litchfield‘s career will continue after she was named Sydney Thunder captain for the upcoming WBBL season.
At 21, Litchfield will be youngest full-time captain in WBBL history. She has been appointed ahead of England captain Heather Knight who led the side last season but enters the WBBL on the back of the injury she sustained at the T20 World Cup and will also miss the latter stages of this year’s competition due to a tour of South Africa.
“It’s a huge honour to be named captain of Sydney Thunder,” Litchfield said. “I’ve grown up playing for this club and learning from some incredible leaders, so to now have the opportunity to lead such a talented group of players is really exciting.
“We’ve got a great mix of experience and young raw talent, and I’m really looking forward to the challenge of captaining the side this season.”
Litchfield made her Thunder debut aged 16 and has scored 1212 runs in 67 matches at an average of 24.24. Last season saw a notable increase in her strike-rate as she made 309 runs at 130.37.
“Phoebe becoming captain of Thunder just feels right,” Thunder general manager Trent Copeland said. “She’s young, but her experience in the game makes this a natural progression. Phoebe has always been mature beyond her years, and her leadership qualities have been evident from the moment she joined Thunder.
“We’ve seen Phoebe thrive under pressure, whether it’s for Australia in the World Cup or in key moments for Thunder. She’s a great leader, both by character and by example, and we are excited to see her step into this role.”
Alongside Knight, Litchfield will be able to call on the experience of Chamari Athapaththu, Hannah Darlington (who led Thunder as a stand-in captain aged 19), Shabnim Ismail and Sammy-Jo Johnson alongside coach Lisa Keightley.
Thunder, who reached the Eliminator final last season where they were beaten by Brisbane Heat, will begin their tournament against Hobart Hurricanes on October 28.
