Molineux progress ‘on track’ for Women’s T20WC 2026
Australia expect skipper Sophie Molineux to fit in as a bowling all-rounder during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Sophie Molineux’s appointment as Australia's new captain earlier this year was made with the focus on upcoming international assignments, especially the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 and the following year’s ICC Women’s Champions Trophy.
However, Molineux, who has had a history of ACL and foot injury, developed a stress reaction to the back during India’s tour of Australia, which limited her participation in the subsequent tour of the West Indies, where the player featured as a batter.
Cricket Australia’s Head of Performance (Women’s Cricket) and National Selector, Shawn Flegler, spoke about how they dealt with Molineux’s injury during the West Indies tour.
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“The stress reaction in the back during the Indian series, not ideal, but things do happen. We just made decisions around that and we decided we could either push through with it, take a big risk and see if she got through, or we just pull back a little bit," Flegler told the reporters during Australia's reveal of their women's central contracts.
Australia treated Molineux’s concern conservatively to ensure that she was with the playing group while also not hampering her progress further.
“We decided to pull back, but we still thought it was important that she was around the group [in the West Indies]. She's on track for the T20 World Cup and that's what the goal was at the start. It's probably a fair point to say it's unprecedented,” Flegler said.
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He reiterated the belief that Molineux remained Australia’s best bet for the T20 World Cup.
“But we think, on balance, she was the candidate that was the best option for a number of reasons: her on-field experience and success that she'd had, her off-field connection and a vision for the team.
“We'll be judged on that as time goes on, but we think it was the right decision at the time. I think she's done really well in the games that she has captained and the way she's been around the group so far. I guess we'll see how that ends up in the T20 World Cup and how it goes in the future as well.”
However, Flegler also remained clear that the bowling all-rounder, who has 84 international wickets to her name, will be considered only if she is able to bowl during the event.
“We're certainly not looking at her as a batting captain. She'll be playing as a bowling allrounder to be available.”