‘A brutal game’: Tahlia McGrath opens up on form struggle
Australia vice-captain Tahlia McGrath has candidly admitted she is enduring the toughest phase of her cricket career, describing a significant loss of confidence following a disappointing World Cup campaign.
For the first time in eight years, Australia finished a global tournament without lifting either the ODI or T20 World Cup, bowing out of last month’s ODI World Cup in the semi-finals to eventual champions India. The setback has left the side with limited time to reset ahead of a busy international schedule, beginning with a home multi-format series against India in February, followed by the T20 World Cup in England in June.
McGrath, 30, finds herself at a pivotal moment in her career. Since 2022, she has deputised for captain Alyssa Healy on numerous occasions, leading the national side 15 times and emerging—alongside Ashleigh Gardner—as a leading candidate to eventually succeed Healy as skipper. Yet despite her leadership role, McGrath has been open about her struggles on the field.
Her World Cup returns were modest, scoring 69 runs at an average of 13.75, with limited opportunities to influence matches with both bat and ball.
“Cricket’s a pretty brutal game and it’s very much based around confidence,” McGrath said. “When it’s not going your way, the world gets pretty big on you. I definitely underperformed and felt the pressure a bit.”
When asked if this was the most challenging period of her career, McGrath did not hesitate.
“Probably,” she said. “You add captaincy into that, you add time away from home. And obviously, when you lose a World Cup, it’s pretty hard to get over as well. It’s been a challenging time.”
After a demanding year, McGrath has opted to step back from the game. She chose not to nominate for next month’s Women’s Premier League in India, instead prioritising rest and time at home with South Australia ahead of Australia’s international commitments.
“I was hanging out for a bit of a break,” she said. “It’s properly distancing myself at the moment. There’s not much point in me picking up a bat. I wouldn’t achieve much.”
Since the conclusion of the Women’s Big Bash League two weeks ago, McGrath has deliberately avoided training, focusing instead on recovery and mental refreshment.
“Get away from the game, go for walks along the beach, play a bit of golf, see some friends and family,” she said. “Just refresh, get that energy back and put in the work after Christmas.”
Over the past year, McGrath has also been adjusting to a new role in Australia’s batting line-up, operating at No.7 in ODIs and No.6 in T20Is. That shift meant she batted in only half of Australia’s World Cup matches, a contrast to earlier years when she was a regular presence higher up the order.
Despite the challenges, McGrath remains committed to the team’s needs, while acknowledging there is work to be done.
“I’m a very team-first person and love being in the XI and contributing,” she said. “I haven’t quite nailed that No.7 spot, so I probably need to go away and do a bit of work on that and make that my own first of all. Then once I can do that, try and get myself up the order.”
As Australia look ahead to a demanding 2025, McGrath’s honesty highlights both the pressures of elite sport and the resilience required to return stronger.