By Admin 
Sophie Molineux Appointed Australia New Captain: All-rounder Sophie Moliny has been appointed captain of the Australia women’s team on Thursday, January 29, for the T20 series against ODI world champions India next month. After this home series, she will take over the captaincy in all formats in place of Alyssa Healy. Healy had announced that she would retire from international cricket after playing against India. She will captain the Australian team in three ODIs and one Test match against India.
Australia announced the team for the series against India
Australia’s teams for all formats for the series against India were announced on Thursday. India’s Australia tour will begin with a three-match T20 International series starting in Sydney on February 15. The remaining two matches will be played on 19 and 21 February in Canberra and Adelaide respectively. The three-match ODI series will be played on 24, 27 February and 1 March. The first match will be played at Allan Border Field in Brisbane while the next two matches will be played at Bellerive Oval in Hobart. The only Test match between India and Australia will be played at the prestigious WACA Ground in Perth from March 6 to 9.
Molini will captain Australia in all formats from the West Indies tour.
After this, Molini will be the captain of Australia in all formats during the tour of West Indies in March. Tahlia McGrath has been retained as the vice-captain, while another spin bowling all-rounder Ashley Gardner has also been appointed as the vice-captain. Nicola Carey has made a comeback in the limited overs format, while 19-year-old Lucy Hamilton, who was in the Delhi Capitals team, has been included in the Test team. The selectors have included left-handed batsman Phoebe Lichfield in their squads across all formats despite being ruled out of the ongoing Women’s Premier League (WPL) due to injury. Alana King has been dropped from the T20 International team. Megan Shutt, Grace Harris and Heather Graham are not included in the ODI team. Molini has been the youngest captain in the Women’s Big Bash League. She took over the captaincy from Meg Lanning at Melbourne Renegades and later led Victoria.
Australia’s squads for the series against India are as follows:
T20: Sophie Molini (captain), Ashley Gardner (vice-captain), Tahlia McGrath (vice-captain), Darcey Brown, Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Phoebe Lichfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Woll, Georgia Wareham.
ODI: Alyssa Healy (captain), Sophie Molini (vice-captain), Darcey Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashley Gardner, Kim Garth, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Woll, Georgia Wareham.
Test: Alyssa Healy (captain), Sophie Moliny (vice-captain), Darcy Brown, Ashley Gardner, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Alana King, Phoebe Lichfield, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Woll, Georgia Wareham.