Tahlia McGrath admits struggle with form, confidence after Australia's World Cup exit

Australia women's team vice-captain Tahlia McGrath has opened up about her difficult phase in her career and admitted that she struggled with form and confidence following the recent Women’s World Cup.

Tahila McGrath scored only 69 runs across the competition, and Australia failed to move up and crashed out in the semi-finals. It marked a rare setback for the defending champions as they had failed to lift an ICC trophy for the first time in eight years. \

ALSO READ । WTC points table update: Australia stay top after Ashes win, New Zealand make big jump

Calling cricket a “brutal game,” McGrath said form and confidence are closely linked, and once things start going wrong, the pressure can quickly build. She acknowledged that she did not perform to her own standards and felt the weight of expectations during the tournament.

Tahila McGrath opens up on her bad patch

The 30-year-old also pointed to the mental toll of leadership responsibilities, particularly in the absence of regular captain Alyssa Healy, along with the demands of constant travel and time away from home. She said, "Probably. I think 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.”

"As much as I was doing everything possible to get us playing some finals cricket [in the WBBL], I was hanging out for a bit of a break." She added.

McGrath has chosen to step away from competitive cricket for a short period and has opted out of the upcoming Women’s Premier League.

“ It's properly distancing myself at the moment. There's not much point in my picking up a bat.

ALSO READ । Australia’s injury crisis deepens as Pat Cummins withdraws from rest of Ashes

Adding to that, she also said, "I wouldn't achieve much. So, it's get away from the game, go for walks along the beach, play a bit of golf, see some friends and family. And just refresh, get that energy back and put in the work after Christmas."

Till now, McGrath has led the team in 15 matches and is one of the main contenders for captaincy after Alyssa Healy.