New Aussie skipper to begin rebuild after stress reaction in her back kept her from bowling during West Indies series
Australia’s national selector insists captain Sophie Molineux is on track to be fully fit for June’s T20 World Cup after playing as a specialist batter during the team’s recently concluded Caribbean tour.
Molineux, who has a long injury history, didn’t bowl in the three T20s and sole ODI she played against West Indies last month, and sat out the final two 50-over matches completely as Australia swept both series 3-0.
The left-arm finger spinner hasn’t bowled since hurting her back against India in February, but selector Shawn Flegler said the focus was getting her body right to play as an allrounder in the ICC’s T20 showpiece in the UK.
“We were clear from the start that the T20 World Cup was the priority series,” Flegler said.
“The stress reaction in her back during the Indian series wasn’t ideal but things do happen.
“We decided to pull back but we still thought was important that she was around the group (in the West Indies).
“So a slight setback with the bowling with the West Indies. But she’s going to come up to Brisbane in early May and start her rebuild for the World Cup and she’s on target to be fully available there.
“It’s something we’re just going to have to continue to assess with ‘Soph’ to make smart decisions about her availability.
“Obviously, we want to get her to a point where she’s available for every game in all formats, but we just need to take steps to get her there and if we need to pull back at times, then we’re going to continue to do that.
“The captaincy part has been great. You see the on-field stuff; I think they were really good experiences for her just to start to get to know the players a little bit better with their on-field roles.
“But then it’s the off-field connections that are really important.
“She did that really well in the interview process (in) being able to articulate where she wants to take the team and how she’s going to do that.
“I think she’s starting to show that … and the West Indies tour was great just for her to feel more comfortable in that role.”
While Molineux impressed in her two opportunities with the bat in the Windies with a brisk 12-ball 25 in the third T20I and a career-best 47 in the first ODI, Flegler said she would need to be bowling to be available for selection during the T20 World Cup.
The six-time champions face a significant selection squeeze in the spin department with their skipper fully fit given leggie Alana King has mounted a strong case for a regular spot in the T20 side, taking five wickets against the Windies in her first internationals in the format in almost a year.
Australia’s spin stocks are no doubt the envy of their rivals with powerful spin-bowling allrounders Ashleigh Gardner and Georgia Wareham also set to be included in their 15-player World Cup squad that Flegler said would be finalised in the coming weeks before the group reconvenes for a training camp in Brisbane in early May.
“We’ve got a couple of early morning games in England (starting) at 10.30am, which ordinarily, I’d say, are not great times for spinning wickets in June in England,” Flegler said.
“But certainly, (King) she’s put her hand up and with Soph’s injury, that does come into the discussions about what’s the best fit in the squad if we have four spinners, or are we comfortable with the three that we’ve got?
“Whoever misses out is going to be really unlucky because there’s a number of players who have put their hand up, whether it’s Alana, there’s a few allrounders in the mix and some pace bowlers.
“There’s going to be a couple of unlucky players for sure. They’ll be on standby, just in case anyway, but that’s going to be a big decision.”
Australia launch their World Cup campaign against South Africa in Manchester on June 13 and will also play group matches in Leeds, Southampton and at Lord’s against India.
While Flegler conceded it was “unprecedented” to name Molineux as Alyssa Healy’s captaincy successor given her extensive periods on the sidelines with previous foot and knee troubles, he said the Australian hierarchy were comfortable they’d made the right decision.
“We’re happy to be judged on that down the track. If it turns out that Soph is injured again long-term, we’ll have to reassess where we go with the captaincy,” he said.
“But it wasn’t just one meeting, let’s make a call on something; there are lots of discussions that take place, and not just among selectors … (but) I totally get that it might seem a bit odd from the outside.
“We’re comfortable internally that it was the right decision for this group at this time.”
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026
Australia’s Group 1 fixtures
June 13: v South Africa, Old Trafford, Manchester, 11:30pm AEST
June 17: v Bangladesh, Headingly, Leeds, 7:30pm AEST
June 20: v Netherlands, Rose Bowl, Hampshire, 7:30pm AEST
June 24: v Pakistan, Headingly, Leeds, 3:30am AEST
June 28: v India, Lord’s, London, 11:30pm AEST
Semi-final 1: The Oval, London, June 30, 11:30pm AEST
Semi-final 2: The Oval, London, July 2 (3:30am July 3 AEST)
Final: Lord’s, London, July 5, 11:30pm AEST
Click here for the full tournament schedule
All matches will be broadcast on Amazon’s Prime Video
