Australia Women’s head coach Shelley Nitschke has agreed to a fresh three-year contract, keeping her in charge through to mid-2029. The extension is set to be announced in the build-up phase to the Women’s T20 World Cup in England.
Nitschke first moved into the role in 2022, taking over from Matthew Mott on a four-year agreement. Since then, Australia have delivered major honours under her leadership, winning Commonwealth Games gold in 2022 and then going on to claim the T20 World Cup title in 2023.
Australia have continued to sit at the top of both the ODI and T20I team rankings during Nitschke’s stint. However, their latest campaigns ended in disappointment, with the side bowing out in the semi-finals of both the most recent ODI World Cup run and the most recent T20 World Cup campaign.
The newly signed deal will keep Nitschke steering the team for the next four headline events: the 2026 and 2028 Women’s T20 World Cups, the 2027 inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy, and the 2028 Olympics. Within that window, Australia are also scheduled to tour England for the Ashes in mid-2027 and then host the Ashes in early 2029.
“It’s a privilege to continue coaching this team and working with such an outstanding group of players and staff,” Nitschke said in a statement. “We’ve achieved a great deal together, but there’s also enormous motivation around what this group can accomplish in the years ahead. There are some major events and exciting challenges on the horizon and I’m looking forward to helping guide the team through the next phase.”
Australia’s immediate preparation will include three unofficial practice matches against South Africa. After that, they will face England and the West Indies in the ICC-arranged warm-up fixtures ahead of the T20 World Cup.
At the tournament, Australia will play their group matches against South Africa, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and the Netherlands.
