Australia have announced a 14-player squad for their upcoming home assignments against Bangladesh and New Zealand, with captain Sophie Molineux making the cut despite an ongoing hip injury that has cast doubt over her availability. Australia are scheduled to begin the campaign with three ODIs against Bangladesh in Brisbane on October 9, 11 and 14, respectively. Then the team will shift attention to the T20I format, taking on New Zealand in three matches in Sydney from October 18 to 22.
Young pacer Lucy Hamilton has also been named in the squad but will not be available for the three ODI matches against Bangladesh after suffering a mild quadriceps strain. Darcie Brown is another notable absentee. The fast bowler has been ruled out of both the Bangladesh and New Zealand series after sustaining a back injury. Meanwhile, Grace Harris, who was part of Australia's successful T20 World Cup campaign earlier this year, has been overlooked.
“These six matches will provide a great challenge for the side following the World Cup, with both Bangladesh and New Zealand presenting different challenges,” national selector Shawn Flegler said.
“Bangladesh will be a really good test, particularly with the quality they have in their bowling attack. It’s also a great opportunity for our batters to get exposure to subcontinent-style bowling ahead of the Champions Trophy in India."
Australia squad: Sophie Molineux (c) Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham