Australia women’s captain Sophie Molineux is in doubt for the upcoming ODI series against Bangladesh after suffering a hip joint injury. She has been ruled out of Victoria's opening round of the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL), with her availability for Australia still being assessed.
Australia will host Bangladesh in a three-match ODI series, with all three matches scheduled in Brisbane on October 9, 11, and 14. The national squad is due to be announced on Wednesday, with the selectors awaiting further updates on Molineux’s fitness before finalizing the squad.
Sophie Molineux’s Hip Injury Adds to Recent Fitness Concerns
A Cricket Australia spokesperson confirmed that Sophie Molineux is dealing with a hip joint injury and remains under assessment ahead of the Bangladesh series.
“Sophie has an injury to her hip joint and her involvement in the upcoming series will continue to be assessed,” the spokesperson said.
A back problem disrupted the start of her captaincy tenure earlier this year and forced her to miss Australia’s tour of the West Indies as an all-rounder. She returned to the team as a batter during that tour before regaining her bowling role.
The all-rounder then played a full role during Australia’s successful T20 World Cup campaign, helping the team win the title. Reflecting on her injury struggles, the captain recently spoke about the lessons she had learned from her rehabilitation periods.
“I suppose the injuries have taken up a large chunk of the last few years for me. But the lessons that you learn from going through it just makes me really grateful to be sitting here today with some pretty special memories under my belt,” she told Cricinfo.
Australia Face Busy October Schedule Without Key Players
Sophie Molineux’s absence could create another challenge for Australia during a busy period in their white-ball calendar. The team will play a three-match T20I series against New Zealand after three ODIs against Bangladesh.
Australia are scheduled to play six international matches during October. Rising fast bowler Lucy Hamilton will also miss Victoria’s opening WNCL fixture, although several other Australian internationals are expected to feature for their state teams.
The Bangladesh series will give Australia an opportunity to build momentum in the 50-over format, but the selectors will first need to determine whether Molineux has recovered sufficiently to take part.
Tahlia McGrath, Ashleigh Gardner Provide Captaincy Cover After Sophie Molineux Injury
Cricket Australia named Tahlia McGrath and Ashleigh Gardner as joint vice-captains earlier this year, giving the team two established leadership options if Sophie Molineux is unavailable.
McGrath captained Australia during the West Indies tour when the captain was injured. However, she could not secure a regular place in Australia’s playing XI during the T20 World Cup.
Gardner, meanwhile, retained her vice-captaincy after the Cricket Australia board backed her in August following developments surrounding her personal life. Her relationship with teammate Georgia Voll became public, followed by the breakdown of her marriage.
Gardner addressed the matter in an Instagram statement while acknowledging that Cricket Australia had to consider the situation because of her leadership position.
“While my separation from my wife is a personal matter, I understand my current relationship status needed to be addressed by Cricket Australia given my position as vice-captain. I am grateful that the CA Board has chosen to support my continued leadership,” Gardner said.
