Phoebe Litchfield named as the skipper for Sydney Thunder ahead of the 2024-25 season of the Women’s Big Bash League.
Phoebe Litchfield continues her rapid rise after she was named Sydney Thunder captain.
Litchfield will be the WBBL’s youngest full-time captain at age 21. She was chosen before Heather Knight, the captain of England, who captained the team the previous season. But is entering the WBBL with an injury from the T20 World Cup. She will also miss the final parts of this year’s league since she is touring 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, who made her Thunder debut at the age of 16, has amassed 1212 runs at an average of 24.24 in 67 games. Her strike-rate significantly increased last season, scoring 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. 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.”
In addition to Knight, Litchfield may rely on the expertise of coach Lisa Keightley, Chamari Athapaththu, Hannah Darlington (who captained Thunder as a 19-year-old stand-in captain), Shabnim Ismail, and Sammy-Jo Johnson.
The Thunder, who advanced to the Eliminator final the previous season before losing to the Brisbane Heat, will play the Hobart Hurricanes on October 28 to start the tournament.