Skipper returns as Australia reveal squad for West Indies

Australia captain Sophie Molineux has been named to make her return from injury during the side's upcoming white-ball tour of the West Indies.

The Aussies will take on the West Indies across six white-ball fixtures from March 19, with the three T20I contests at the start of the tour to provide the side some much needed preparation ahead of this year's ICC Women's T20 World Cup in England.

Molineux has recovered from the back problem that caused her to miss much of the recent multi-format series at home against India and been included in the 15-player touring party that will travel to the Caribbean.

Uncapped batter Tahlia Wilson also wins a spot in the Australia squad as Lucy Hamilton and Nicola Carey are retained following impressive efforts against India, with regulars Grace Harris and Annabel Sutherland to miss the tour ahead of the T20 World Cup.

Chief selector Shawn Flegler said the tour of the Caribbean was crucial for the Aussies ahead of this year's T20 World Cup and is delighted to be able to welcome back Molineux following the recent retirement of long-term skipper Alyssa Healy.

“Being the final series before the T20 World Cup, it’s a great opportunity for the group to refine our plans against a challenging opposition," Flegler said.

“This tour marks the beginning of a new era for the side, with Sophie taking the reins across all formats and a new-look batting line-up following Alyssa’s retirement.

“Sophie was terrific during the recent T20 series against India and has already begun shaping her leadership style and this tour will be another important step in continuing to define how she wants to lead the side.

“Sophie is progressing well and is expected to be available to play. We’ll prioritise the T20 matches and continue to assess her across the ODI series.

“Annabel will miss the series as part of a proactive management plan after a significant workload over the past 12 months, and we believe the extended rest will help ensure she’s at her best ahead of the World Cup.

“Grace has missed selection, but we obviously know what she’s capable of and she remains firmly in our thinking ahead of the World Cup."

Australia squad: Sophie Molineux (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham, Tahlia Wilson

Tour schedule

First T20I: March 19, St Vincent
Second T20I: March 21, St Vincent
Third T20I: March 23, St Vincent

First ODI: March 27, St Kitts
Second ODI: March 29, St Kitts
Third ODI: April 2, St Kitts