Victorian spinner Sophie Molineux is one step closer to reviving her international career, named as captain of the Governor-General’s XI that will face South Africa later this month.
The 25-year-old, who last represented Australia in October 2021, has been plagued by injury setbacks throughout her career, missing the Ashes series and World Cup in 2022 due to a stress fracture in her right foot. She was then sidelined for two consecutive Women’s Big Bash League campaigns after suffering an ACL injury early in the 2022/23 season.
Molineux, who won two T20 World Cup titles in 2018 and 2020, made her long-awaited return to competitive cricket last month, scoring 62 and claiming 6-45 in a WNCL match against the NSW Breakers at Junction Oval.
The left-armer, who has represented Australia on 38 occasions since her international debut in 2018, headlined an exciting crop of players in the Governor-General’s XI that was unveiled on Friday morning, including Victorian teenager Milly Illingworth and West Australian young gun Chloe Ainsworth.
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“ (Molineux’s) been highly rated by the Australian set-up for a long time,“ national selector Shawn Flegler told reporters on Friday afternoon.
“She did well coming back for Victoria, getting that six-fa early on. She’s certainly being closely monitored.
“We’ve had a left-arm orthodox spinner – either Jess Jonassen or Soph – involved in our last several (World Cup) campaigns, so we’ll see that continuing, I’m sure.”
Molineux will be eyeing a potential return to international cricket ahead of this year’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, which gets underway in September. However, Australia already has a plethora of spinners at its disposal, including Ash Gardner, Georgia Wareham, Jess Jonassen and Alana King.
“Georgia Wareham has come back into the team and I thought she bowled better and better as the tour went on in India. She also adds a pretty powerful lower-order batting option and she’s outstanding in the field,” Flegler continued.
“I’ve said a few times we value those three skill-sets really highly and if you can do all three, that certainly gives you a leg-up in selection. And that’s where Georgia and Ash have got the nod at the moment.
“With every World Cup squad, we try and cover all bases, and we’ve been really fortunate with the spin options we’ve had over the last few World Cups, but Alana (King) was outstanding in the ODIs in India, and she certainly keeps putting pressure and asking questions of the selectors every time.”
The Governor-General’s XI will face South Africa at North Sydney Oval on Wednesday, January 24.
Meanwhile, talented quick Tayla Vlaeminck has been named in Victoria’s squad for next week’s WNCL games against the ACT Comets at Junction Oval. The 25-year-old, who last represented Victoria in December 2021, missed the recent WBBL campaign with the Melbourne Renegades after undergoing shoulder surgery in August.
“It’s great to have her back playing again,” Flegler said.
“She’s had a really tough run, but I think we’ve shown the belief that we’ve got in her by the support that we’ve provided.
“There’s not many bowlers around the world that have the ball speed she does. We’d love to have her back involved as soon as she’s ready.”
Cricket Australia also announced its squad for the white-ball components of the upcoming women’s multi-format series against South Africa, with no changes to the touring party that defeated India in the subcontinent earlier this month.
The first T20I between Australia and South Africa gets underway at Canberra’s Manuka Oval on Saturday, January 27.
Australian women’s squad for ODIs and T20s vs South Africa
Alyssa Healy (C), Darcie Brown, Heather Graham, Ashleigh Gardner Kim Garth, Grace Harris (T20Is only), Jess Jonassen, Alana King (ODIs only), Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham
Governor-General’s XI squad vs South Africa
Sophie Molineux, Chloe Ainsworth, Maddy Darke, Amy Edgar, Tess Flintoff, Sianna Ginger, Milly Illingworth, Charli Knott, Courtney Sippel, Amy Smith, Georgia Voll, Private Kayla Stuchbree
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