Australia has announced its squad for the white-ball leg of the upcoming Ashes series, with star all-rounder Sophie Molineux ruled out of the campaign due to upcoming knee surgery.
Bainrsdale’s Molineux will undergo left knee surgery next month having missed last week’s one-day international tour of New Zealand.
The Victorian, who also missed the 2022 and 2023 Ashes due to injury, but has been in good form since making her long-awaited return to international cricket in February.
The 26-year-old, who recently captained the Melbourne Renegades to the WBBL title last month, is the biggest name missing from Australia’s 13-player squad for the three one-day matches of the multi-format series against England.
The left-arm spinner, who is a more handy lower-order batter, has endured a number of injuries and health challenges throughout her stop-start career, battling knee issues this summer, missing some WBBL games to manage pain in the joint.
A date for her return will be set after surgery is completed.
