Sophie Molineux and Darcie Brown, having faced setbacks with injuries and lengthy rehabilitation, are poised for a powerful comeback as they join Australia’s squad for the 2024 World Cup.
Sophie Molineux, the bowling all-rounder, missed the last edition of the T20 World Cup in 2023, held in South Africa, where Australia claimed their sixth World Cup title. Molineux had been sidelined due to serious foot and knee injuries from 2021 to 2023.
However, the Victorian returns for a major appearance for the national side for the first time since the 2020 World Cup. She admitted feeling nervous ahead of the marquee event after having spent a few years away from World Cup competitions due to multiple injuries. Despite being a two-time T20 World Cup champion (2018 & 2020), the time away has created excitement and anticipation as she prepares to make an impact in her comeback for Australia.
“I haven’t been around for a few years in terms of World Cups, so there is a little bit of nervousness that I’m feeling at the moment,” Molineux stated.
Molineux made her return to the Australian side earlier this year, featuring in the only Test against South Africa during Australia’s home summer. After an impressive performance in her maiden Women’s Premier League (WPL) season with Royal Challengers Bangalore, where she played 10 matches, claiming 12 wickets and scoring 78 runs with the bat, she featured in Australia’s five-match T20I series against Bangladesh, finishing as the leading wicket-taker with six wickets.
Molineux emphasized the importance of handling pressure during crucial moments, such as bowling in the powerplay and towards the backend (slog overs). The left-arm spinner acknowledged that getting everything right as a bowler is not always possible, but recovering from difficult spells is key.
Reflecting on her recent series against New Zealand, Molineux sees it as a learning experience and is eager to rise to the challenge if tasked with bowling in these vital overs again.
“(Power play and death overs) are pretty important ones, and I think as a bowler in those situations, you’re not always going to get it right. A big part of that is being able to bounce back from the times where it gets a bit tricky. There’s definitely a lot to be learned from the series against the Kiwis, and I’m very much looking forward to the challenge (of bowling those overs) if it arises again,” Molineux said.
She also highlighted the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket and the importance of staying composed in high-pressure situations, sharing, “T20 cricket’s also pretty unpredictable as well, so if we stay as calm as possible, which we are, I think that’s probably going to put us in the best stead to be able to take it deep.”
Meanwhile, Darcie Brown was diagnosed in March 2024 with a stress injury to the navicular bone in her left foot, but she is aiming to make a strong impact in the 2024 Women’s World Cup.
Brown shared her surprise at the injury, initially experiencing heel pain without realizing the true cause. She feels fortunate that the injury was caught early, emphasizing the importance of early detection in her recovery process and ensuring she stayed on track ahead of the tournament.
“It was weird because it’s actually never been sore … my heel was sore, but the heel was fine, and then they saw (the navicular injury), so we’re very lucky we caught it early, and hopefully, we prevented worse things in the future,” Brown stated.
Brown’s rehabilitation program required her to stay off her feet as much as possible in the early stages, with her steps limited to 3,000 per day, eventually increasing to 5,000. After a tough rehabilitation program, Brown has returned to Australia’s squad, providing a boost to the pace department for the defending champions.
She marked her international comeback in the recent T20I series against New Zealand, featuring in the second T20I and finishing with figures of 1/21 in three overs.
The South Australian pacer also mentioned that she had been dealing with wrist position issues over the last six to twelve months, noting how challenging it is to adjust while bowling. She explained that it’s difficult to focus on wrist movement mid-action, and recent observations have also highlighted areas for improvement in her foot alignment and front arm positioning, which she is working on as part of her development.
“I had a few issues with my wrist position for a fair while over the last six or 12 months. The wrist is a really tricky thing to move around, and it’s quite hard to think about that while you’re bowling. There are a few bigger movements that we’ve noticed with my feet alignment and my front arm as well,” Brown explained.
Alyssa Healy will lead Australia’s 15-player squad for the 2024 World Cup. The defending champions are part of Group A, dubbed the ‘Group of Death,’ featuring heavyweights in India, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan.
Australia will open their tournament campaign against Sri Lanka at Sharjah on October 3.
(Quotes sourced from cricket.com.au)