A chance to lead the nation through an international series has been cut short for newly appointed Australian captain Sophie Molineux due to an unfortunate injury.
Molineux was named the all-format captain of the national team last month after Alyssa Healy announced she would retire from all forms of cricket after the India series.
But Molineux has now been forced to the sidelines just weeks into her tenure as captain, having been ruled out of the India series due to back soreness.
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Cricket Australia confirmed the 28-year-old had been experiencing back soreness since the first ODI win over India on Tuesday.
Healy confirmed at the toss for the second ODI in Hobart on Friday that Molineux would not take part in the series any longer.
“Unfortunately Soph has got a little bit of a niggle, so she’ll be missing out the rest of this series sadly,” Healy said.
Sophie Molineux of Australia fields during game two of the Women’s T20 International series between Australia and India. Cricket Australia via Getty Imag
“It’s a great opportunity for someone like Nic Carey to come in, she’s played a lot of cricket out here, in particular the last few summers.
“Hopefully she can play her role.”
Cricket Australia also confirmed that Molineux will be monitored in the build-up to the tour of the West Indies, that is set to take place over March and April.
Molineux is not the only Australian star on the sidelines for the second ODI, with Ellyse Perry and Kim Garth also absent from the game-day squad due to quad injuries.
Perry and Garth, though, have not been ruled out of the series.