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“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.”
Sutherland, meanwhile, led Stars in three games last season when Lanning wasn’t available.
“Annabel has proven herself as a standout performer at both domestic and international level and has worked extremely hard on and developed her leadership skills, particularly over the last couple of years,” Stars general manager Blair Crouch said. “Despite still being so young, Annabel is vastly experienced and her reputation within the game is second to none.
“I’d also like to pay tribute to Meg Lanning’s captaincy during her time at the club and what an amazing resource and support for Annabel to still have, both on and off the field.”
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. Stars begin against Perth Scorchers at the WACA as the third game on the opening day on October 27.