Injury hit Sophie Molineux has been mentioned in the ODI World Cup team of Australia and gets every chance to play her first game in nine months.
Sophie Molineux gets every opportunity to appear in the ODI World Cup defense of Australia, after he is mentioned to make her comeback of injury during the tournament.
On Friday, Molineux was the big name inclusion in the 15-women team of Australia for next month’s tournament in India and Sri Lanka, with the group otherwise largely arranged.
The Finger-Spinning Allrounder has not played since last December, after being managed via the WBBL in mid-January and needed a knee operation.
Molineux had identified the World Cup as a targeted return after he had missed the last victory of Australia in 2022 in Zeeland.
The Victorian is expected to come directly before the tournament, since she is considered unlikely to play one of the three lead-in odis against India in Mumbai later this month.
The inclusion of Molineux comes with Australia, also hopeful captain Alyssa HEALY has conquered the foot problems that have put her offside for large parts of last summer.
Last month there was another fear of Australia when Spinner Georgia Wareham left the hundred in England with an adductor tribe, but she too was mentioned.
“Sophie Molineux is progressing well in her return of a knee injury, and we expect that she will be available for the World Cup,” said Physio Kate Beerworth.
“Alyssa Healy has made a strong return to the recent ‘A’ series, and we are happy with where she is.
“Georgia Wareham is also back to full training after her adductor injury during the hundred.”
The fitness of Molineux is the key to Australia, since she has taken 11 wickets at an average of 6.54 in Asia.
Although that comes from a limited return of five odis to the continent, her T20 record there of 20 wickets at 12.65 speaks to her skills on the slower pitches.
Uninsured Spinner Charli Knott looms as the most likely replacement for Molineux when the Victorian does not recover on time, because she is in the team for three pipes against India.
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The 22-year-old Georgia Voll is the most important new face in the Australia team, which has never been seen in any form of World Cup and had struggled in the recent edition of The Hundred.
Volle burst on stage last summer with a century in her second ODI against India and explained pressure on the established top order of Australia.
Colleague Buddler Phoebe Litchfield, who was the hundred player of the tournament, Seamer Kim Garth and Legspinner Warham are also set for their first 50-over world cups, after playing in T20 earlier.
Australia will be confronted with New Zealand in their tournament opener on 1 October, with all eight teams to play each other once before the semi-final and a final on November 2.
The Healy side tries to be the first team that Back-to-Back ODI World Cups wins since Australia claimed three in succession in 1978, 1982 and 1988.
Australia won the last world cup in India in 2013 and wiped their last bilateral series in the country 3-0 at the end of 2023.
Australia team: Alyssa Healy (Captain), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Moony, Ellysse Perry, Megan Wuttham.
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