Australia rest Sutherland, name Hamilton for WI tour as World Cup prep begins

The tour will also see new captain Sophie Molineux return to the side after recovering from a back injury.

The Australian side will play six limited-overs matches beginning March 19. The series opens with three T20 Internationals, which will serve as key preparation ahead of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, scheduled for later this year in England.

Molineux, who had missed a large portion of the recent multi-format series against India due to the injury, has now regained fitness and been included in the 15-member squad travelling to the Caribbean.

The squad also features uncapped batter Tahlia Wilson, who has earned her first call-up. Meanwhile, Lucy Hamilton and Nicola Carey have retained their spots following strong performances in the recent India series.

Regular players Grace Harris and Annabel Sutherland, however, will not be part of the tour as the management looks to manage their workloads ahead of the upcoming World Cup.

Chief selector Shawn Flegler highlighted the significance of the Caribbean tour as a crucial stage in Australia's preparations for the global tournament and welcomed the return of Molineux as their all-format captain following the retirement of former captain Alyssa Healy.

"Being the final series before the T20 World Cup, it's a great opportunity for the group to refine our plans against a challenging opposition. This tour marks the beginning of a new era for the side, with Sophie taking the reins across all formats and a new-look batting line-up following Alyssa's retirement," Flegler told cricket.com.au.

Molineux had been ruled out of the final two ODIs and the Test against India after experiencing soreness in her back. Although she is recovering well, team management may limit her appearances during the tour to ensure she remains fully fit.

"Sophie was terrific during the recent T20 series against India and has already begun shaping her leadership style, and this tour will be another important step in continuing to define how she wants to lead the side. Sophie is progressing well and is expected to be available to play. We'll prioritise the T20 matches and continue to assess her across the ODI series.

If Molineux misses matches, either Ashleigh Gardner or Tahlia McGrath, who are the joint vice-captains, will lead the team.

Sutherland, who delivered an outstanding performance against India and was named player of the series after scoring a century in the Test at the WACA Ground, has been rested as part of a planned workload management strategy. She had earlier skipped the Women's Premier League with Delhi Capitals Women following the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup and Women's Big Bash League.

"Annabel will miss the series as part of a proactive management plan after a significant workload over the past 12 months, and we believe the extended rest will help ensure she's at her best ahead of the World Cup.

Harris has not been selected for the squad, though selectors maintain she is still under consideration for the upcoming global event.

"Grace has missed selection, but we obviously know what she's capable of and she remains firmly in our thinking ahead of the World Cup."

Australia squad: Sophie Molineux (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham, Tahlia Wilson

- IANS