Australian selector Shawn Flegler has conceded that the decision to hand Sophie Molineux the national team captaincy could be reassessed if her injury problems persist. Molineux, who replaced the retiring Alyssa Healy, has a history of serious injuries that sidelined her for more than two years from 2021 and caused her to miss the most recent Ashes with a knee issue.
Injury concerns resurfaced during the recent series against India and the West Indies, where Molineux missed matches due to a back problem. Flegler described the latest setback as 'not ideal' but said the plan had always been to manage her fitness cautiously ahead of the T20 World Cup in the UK in June.
Flegler acknowledged that it was 'unprecedented' to appoint a captain with such fitness uncertainty, but defended the decision, citing Molineux's on-field experience and off-field leadership. He added that Australia would remain open to change if long-term injuries arise, saying: 'If it turns out that Soph is injured again long-term, we’ll have to reassess where we go with the captaincy.'
Meanwhile, Cricket Australia announced its national contract list, which includes uncapped players Chloe Ainsworth and Lucy Hamilton for the first time. Teenager Hamilton has already made her Australian debut in all three formats, while Ainsworth is seen as a longer-term prospect. Tayla Vlaeminck and Tess Flintoff did not have their contracts renewed, though Vlaeminck returned to domestic action this week after a lengthy injury layoff.
