Dubai, Oct 11 (IANS): Reigning World Champion in T20 Australia suffered a setback ahead of a key clash with India when pacer Tayla Vlaeminck got injured on the fourth ball of their ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 match against Pakistan here on Friday.

Set to play India in the league stage on Sunday, which will decide the two qualifiers from Group A, Australia will be hoping for a positive fitness update about Vlaeminck, who was brought into the Australia side for the match against Pakistan after spending the team’s opening two games in the dugout.

But the 25-year-old suffered what appeared to be a nasty injury in the field off just the fourth ball of the innings.

Vlaeminck chased down an outside edge, but her knee stuck in the ground as she attempted a slide, and on reaching out for balance she hurt a previously-injured shoulder.

Australia will be hoping that the injury isn’t serious for a player who has suffered a string of unfortunate fitness setbacks in her career.

First capped at the age of 20, the pace bowler picked up a stress fracture in her foot to rule her out of the 2020 edition of this tournament, before also missing the 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup through a shoulder injury, and not recovering form and fitness in time to force her way into Australia’s winning squad in South Africa in 2023.