Melbourne, 10 March (H.S.): Cricket Australia unveiled a 15-player women's squad Tuesday for the upcoming white-ball series against West Indies, entrusting allrounder Sophie Molineux with captaincy while handing debut caps to wicketkeeper-batter Tahlia Wilson.

Lucy Hamilton and Nicola Carey retained spots from the recent India tour, but T20 squad member Grace Harris missed out. Allrounder Annabel Sutherland sits out for workload management after a hectic 12 months, prioritizing recovery ahead of major events.

Selector Shawn Flegler lauded Molineux's commanding leadership in the India T20s, noting the tour as a platform to hone her skills despite ongoing back injury monitoring. She's primed to elevate her game, Flegler said, affirming her likely participation with match-by-match fitness checks.

The series launches March 19 through April 2 in St. Vincent and St. Kitts, featuring three T20Is and three ODIs—the latter counting toward the ICC Women's Championship. Selectors view it as prime preparation for the Women's T20 World Cup, fine-tuning strategies.

Australia Women's Squad: Darcy Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashley Gardner, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux (capt), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Georgia Voller, Georgia Wareham, Tahlia Wilson.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar