Cricket Australia (CA) has released its list of women cricketers contracted for the 2022-23 season. While the left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux faced the axe from the 15-member list following an injury-marred season, the promising leg-spinner Alana King has bagged her maiden contract.
Notably, King took a fifer on her Test debut in the recent Women's Ashes series, gaining an upgrade during the series. Additionally, she had a stunning economy of 3.15 in the ODI series against the visiting English women.
Further, the Clarinda-born spinner was Australia's second-leading wicket-taker in the recently concluded Women's World Cup with 12 wickets at an economy of 4.52. Thereby playing a significant role in Australia's victorious campaign. Thus, King, who entered the national side as a replacement for Georgia Wareham, has been able to make her impact in a quick time, which has earned her this contract.
Reacting to King's inclusion in the contracted players' list, Female High-Performance Manager and National Selector, Shawn Flegler, said, "Alana King came into the side during the Ashes and hadn't missed a beat. She produced match-winning performances across all three formats and thoroughly deserved her spot on the list. After the loss of Georgia Wareham to injury, we were in a fortunate position to be able to replace her with another outstanding leg spinner in Alana. It's a real credit to Alana and the Australian Cricket system to have someone of her calibre waiting in the wings ready to go."
On the other hand, talented left-arm orthodox spinner Sophie Molineux has been excluded from the list after missing out on a fair amount of cricket owing to several injuries last year. On being asked about Molineux's exclusion, Flegler said that he expects the tweaker to make her return in a grand style and earn an upgrade for herself by performing alongside her fellow absentees like Stella Campbell, Amanda-Jade Wellington and Grace Harris.
"Sophie Molineux is unfortunate to miss out on a contract, she's been an important part of the side over the last couple of years. Unfortunately, she's missed a large amount of cricket due to various injuries, but we feel she can continue to play an important role with a more consistent run of matches. Players such as Stella Campbell, Amanda-Jade Wellington and Grace Harris have all played for Australia and contributed to the team's success recently, and along with Sophie, have the chance to earn upgrades with consistent performances," Flegler was quoted by Cricbuzz.
Georgia Wareham and Tayla Vlaeminck have retained their respective contracts despite having long-term injuries. Flagler has clarified that both these players are rehabbing well and are expected to be back in action in the upcoming Australian summer.
CA Women's contract list for 2022-23:
Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Meg Lanning, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham