Molinuex ruled out Ashes, Voll included, Healy’s knee a wait and see

Allrounder Sophie Molineux has been ruled out of the multiformat Ashes series due to a knee injury that will require surgery while skipper Alyssa Healy remains unsure whether she will keep wicket due to an ongoing knee problem.

Molineux, a left-arm spinner, managed a knee problem through the WBBL, where she captained Melbourne Renegades to a maiden title, and the issue flared again after the ODI series against India. Molineux was ruled out of the recent trip to New Zealand and now faces a further spell on the sidelines.

“Sophie Molineux will undergo left knee surgery next month, following that we will provide further updates on an anticipated return date,” team physiotherapist Kate Beerworth said.

One of the key issues for Australia to resolve ahead of the Ashes will be whether Healy is able to keep wicket having handed the gloves to Beth Mooney in New Zealand as she returned from a knee injury. Healy was a surprise addition to the Governor-General’s XI squad for a 50-over warm-up game against England on January 9 at North Sydney Oval. While speaking outside the MCG on Saturday following the squad announcement, Healy said the warm-up game will be a good test for her knee ahead of the Ashes.

“That’ll be a great opportunity for me to take the gloves for a little bit and see how everything’s progressing,” Healy said. “I can’t really give you any more information than that. It’s kind of play it by ear at the moment to see how everything pulls up. But I did thoroughly enjoy running around the field in New Zealand. So if that’s the option and is less disruptive to our side, then that could be the way moving forward. But the aim is to take the gloves and hopefully I can do that.

“Having an angry joint in there and flaring that up, and knowing the really tight schedule with the Ashes as well, probably managing that and not wanting to blow it up too much that it’s going to affect my ability to play at all. So that’ll be the real test, I think, in the next 10 days, moving into the series as to how that pulls up, how it responds to keeping again, and we’ll just assess as we go.”

Georgia Voll, who made a stunning start to her international career against India, with 173 runs in three ODIs including a century, has been included for the one-day and T20I series which form the first two parts of the Ashes. Grace Harris will join for the T20Is at the SCG, Canberra and Adelaide.

“It was pleasing to see Alyssa Healy return to action against New Zealand and looked in good touch, along with a number of batters continuing their strong form on from the recent series against India,” national selector Shawn Flegler said.

“Whilst Georgia Voll didn’t play against New Zealand, she’s made a brilliant start to her international career and will be a strong option with the bat if required in her debut Ashes series.

“The bowling group provides plenty of variety which will be important against a strong England batting line up.”

A squad for the day-night Test at the MCG in late January will be named in the coming weeks.

“I think you look at the way we’ve probably shaped up in Test cricket over the last couple of seasons, it’s looked a little bit different to what we’ve done in the white-ball format,” Healy said. “So there is some reasoning as to why that Test squad hasn’t been announced, and we’ll probably look at that over the next few weeks, just to see where all the bowlers in the domestic cricket are at and their loads and how they’re going to prepare for a Test match.

“Knowing it’s pink ball, knowing it swings a little bit more, and what the conditions are going to be like, I think there’s a few players around the country at the moment that could stick their hand up for a baggy green which I think is really exciting.”

The Ashes starts with the first ODI at North Sydney on January 12 followed by matches at Junction Oval in Melbourne and Hobart.

England will play a warm-up match against a Governor-General’s XI on January 9. Legspinner Georgia Wareham has also been called into that squad in place of fast bowler Darcie Brown to give Wareham more game time ahead of the Ashes having only featured in one of Australia’s last six ODIs where she wasn’t required to bat or bowl.