Australia all-rounder Sophie Molineux is aiming for a comeback after knee surgery but didn’t reveal a timeline for her return to action.
Sophie Molineux missed Australia’s tour of New Zealand in December due to a knee complaint having missed several WBBL games with soreness. She attended the press conference at the MCG on Tuesday morning, walking freely with no obvious signs of discomfort.
And featuring in the back-end of the summer’s WNCL for Victoria might be a stretch, there is a longer-term goal in Molineux’s sights.
“I had the surgery a week or so ago,” told Molineux. “(It’s) pretty early doors at the moment, but I’d love to be able to put my hand up for the World Cup in September.”
Aussie allrounder Sophie Molineux is on the comeback trail
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— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 28, 2025
The 2025 ODI World Cup will be held in India during October later this year, where spine will undoubtedly be a factor. Molineux has had a rough run with injuries and has had a ups-downs in international career.
Since making her debut in ODI, Molineux has managed only 13 appearance out of 64 ODIs.
She never played a 50-over match in India, she has an strong record in Asia, with 11 wickets in five ODIS on the subcontinent at an average of 6.54 and economy rate of 1.67.
Molineux answered questions from reporters alongside former Australia captain Margaret Jennings to celebrate the first day-night Test match at the MCG and the first women’s test at the venue since 1949.
“It’s a great honour for me and a pleasure,” said Jennings. “Things have actually changed, and it’s wonderful to see the opportunities the girls get today.”
Meanwhile off-spinner Sophie Molineux revealead the reason for Aussies remains hungry for Ashes 2025 whitewash. Molineux will miss the test due to knee injury but believes the domnant series is a reflection of a determined group.
“I think there’s been a big emphasis on fitness, on training hard and doing the right things in the Australian environment. I can’t speak for the English, but they’ve also got some world-class cricketers who have been able to perform for years,” she said.
“It’s a true testament to the place the Australian team is in at the moment. We had a disappointing T20 World Cup a few months ago and I think that’s really fired up everyone.
“You can see the way we’ve played over the last couple of weeks has been pretty incredible, you can tell there’s a bit of fire in the belly there.”
Australia has regained the Ashes with its strong white-ball form, but Molineux says the opportunity to complete a whitewash is inspiring the group.
The One-off test of between Australia-England women will be begin on January 30 at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
