Allrounder Molineux named Australian cricket captain

Spin-bowling allrounder Sophie Molineux was named captain of the all-conquering Australian women's cricket team across all three formats on Thursday, replacing the retiring Alyssa Healy.

The 28-year-old will take the reins of the T20 side when Australia hosts India next month, before assuming the one-day and Test duties for their tour of the Caribbean in March.

"It's a real honour to be named Australian captain and something I'm incredibly proud of, especially following on from Alyssa, who's had such a huge impact on this team and the game," said Molineux, who captains Victoria and the Melbourne Renegades.

"We've got a really strong group with plenty of natural leaders, alongside a lot of exciting talent coming through."

Healy, 35, announced earlier this month that she would retire in March, having taken over as captain in 2023 from Meg Lanning.

Tahlia McGrath, who had filled in for Healy before and was tipped by many as her successor, remains vice-captain alongside Ashleigh Gardner.

Australia is the top-ranked ODI and T20 team in the world.