Injury Shake-Up: Who's Leading Australia Now?

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-09-30

Australia's women's cricket team is dealing with a couple of injury blows right before their ODI series against Bangladesh. Captain Sophie Molineux and left-arm seamer Lucy Hamilton are both sidelined, which means Tahlia McGrath will step in as skipper for the three-match series. It's a big moment for McGrath, but she's no stranger to leading the side. ### Australia Names Combined Squad for Bangladesh and New Zealand Series Cricket Australia announced a 14-player white-ball squad on Tuesday that covers both home series. The ODIs against Bangladesh will be played from October 9 to 14 in Brisbane, and then the T20Is against New Zealand follow from October 18 to 22 in Sydney. Hamilton is only listed for the T20I matches, giving her time to recover from a minor quad strain. The squad includes Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, and Georgia Wareham, along with McGrath, Molineux, and Hamilton. Right now, Australia only has 12 players available for the Bangladesh series, which will be played over six days at Allan Border Field. National selector Shawn Flegler mentioned that the team will add another player once the latest round of WNCL matches wraps up. ### Molineux's Hip Injury and Hamilton's Quad Strain Flegler explained that Molineux hurt her hip shortly after returning from the Hundred. At first, it seemed like a minor issue when she reported to Cricket Victoria training, but it healed more slowly than the medical staff expected. "I think it's too tight for the ODI series," Flegler told reporters. He added that Molineux has started to improve and should be fit for the T20Is. The team will keep assessing her during that series, and she'll travel with the squad regardless. Hamilton picked up a minor quad strain during training. Flegler expects her to recover in time for the matches against New Zealand. ### McGrath to Lead ODIs, Gardner Likely for T20Is McGrath will captain the Bangladesh ODIs ahead of fellow vice-captain Ashleigh Gardner. Gardner hasn't led Australia in any format since her appointment as vice-captain. She needed the Cricket Australia board to endorse her in the role after her relationship with teammate Georgia Voll became public. Voll is also part of the squad. Flegler said Gardner will captain the T20I side if Molineux misses any of the New Zealand matches, because McGrath isn't in Australia's first-choice T20I XI. He also said the attention on her personal life wouldn't affect the arrangement. "The captaincy roles have been endorsed by the board," Flegler said, and he expects the leadership group to work well together. ### Darcie Brown Out with Back Injury Darcie Brown is unavailable for both series with a back injury she picked up during the Australia A tour of India. Flegler said a scan showed a disc issue that hasn't improved, so she'll stop bowling and running for a few weeks before starting a gradual reload. The worst case is a 10-week absence, though the selectors hope she returns for part of the WBBL, which begins at the end of October. If she misses the tournament, she remains in contention for the Champions Trophy early next year. ### Grace Harris Left Out Grace Harris, part of the T20 World Cup-winning squad, isn't in the squad for either series. Flegler said the smaller T20 squad and limited chances during the World Cup left her out, and he noted she remains in the selectors' plans. For more cricket news and updates, follow JeetWin Blog!