Home / Cricket / Australian all-rounder set to be ruled out for at ..

Australian all-rounder set to be ruled out for at least 12 months

Scans revealed that the ACL in her left knee had ruptured, necessitating surgery that might keep Molineux out of commission for up to 12 months.

By Kshitij Ojha | Nov 15, 2022 | 2 Min Read

Sophie Molineux could be sidelined for up to a year due to an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) rupture. The all-rounder, who is also the captain of the Melbourne Renegades, was injured during Sunday’s game against the Perth Scorchers in Melbourne. Scans revealed that the ACL in her left knee had ruptured, necessitating surgery that might keep her out of commission for up to 12 months.

Molineux has suffered her second significant injury this year, having last played for Australia in a multi-format series against India in September-October 2021. She missed the Ashes, the 50-over World Cup in New Zealand, and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham owing to an eight-month stress fracture in her foot.

She is set to miss the T20 World Cup next year

Molineux returned to cricket in August for The Hundred, and she recently achieved her first one-day century for Victoria. However, the current injury means she will miss the rest of Australia’s season, including matches against India and Pakistan. Another major competition that Molineux will miss is the T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2023.

“It’s disappointing for Sophie after she has worked so hard to come back from recent injuries and having such an outstanding start to the domestic season including scoring her first WNCL hundred,” Cricket Victoria’s Head of Female Cricket Sharelle McMahon said. Sophie continues to set an example for the rest of the squad and we have no doubt she will demonstrate that in her rehabilitation and recovery from this setback. We’re right behind Sophie in her recovery, we’ll provide our full support in any way we can,” further said McMahon.

The setback is a significant blow to Australia’s depth, which has already seen vice-captain Rachael Haynes retire and captain Meg Lanning take personal leave. Glenn Maxwell, a fellow Victorian, fractured his leg during a 50th birthday celebration the same day. On Saturday, the 34-year-old fractured his left fibula during a garden party in Melbourne and underwent surgery on Sunday. He will be out for eight to twelve weeks and will most likely be ruled out of the four-Test series in India in February and March.