Molineux Out, McGrath Steps In: Australia's Captaincy Shake-Up

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-09-30

### Australia's Captaincy Shake-Up: Molineux Out, McGrath In Sophie Molineux won't be leading Australia in the upcoming ODI series against Bangladesh. The skipper is sidelined with a hip injury, and Lucy Hamilton is also out with a quad strain. Tahlia McGrath will take the reins, and both injured players are expected to return for the T20I series against New Zealand. ### Combined Squad for Two Series Cricket Australia announced a 14-player white-ball squad on Tuesday that covers both home series. The ODIs against Bangladesh run from October 9 to 14 in Brisbane, and the T20Is against New Zealand follow from October 18 to 22 in Sydney. Hamilton is only listed for the T20I matches. The full squad includes Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham, along with McGrath, Molineux, and Hamilton. Right now, Australia have only 12 players available for the Bangladesh series, which will be played over six days at Allan Border Field. National selector Shawn Flegler said the team will add another player once the latest round of WNCL matches finishes. ### Injury Details: Molineux's Hip and Hamilton's Quad Flegler explained that Molineux hurt her hip shortly after returning from the Hundred. At first, it seemed minor when she reported to Cricket Victoria training, but it healed slower than expected. "I think it's too tight for the ODI series," Flegler told reporters. He added that Molineux has started to improve and will be fit for the T20Is. The team will keep assessing her during that series, but she'll travel with the squad anyway. Hamilton picked up a minor quad strain at 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 becoming 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 in 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, but he noted she remains in the selectors' plans. Stay tuned for more cricket updates and analysis!