SYDNEY: Spin bowling all-rounder Sophie Molineux was on Thursday appointed the Australian women's T20 captain for the series against ODI world champions India next month and will succeed Alyssa Healy as the leader across formats after the home assignment.
Healy had announced that she would retire from international cricket after playing against India in which she will captain the Australian team in three ODIs and a one-off Test.
Australia's squads for all formats were announced on Thursday.
India's tour of Australia begins on February 15 with a three-match T20I series starting at Sydney. The other two matches will be played on February 19 and 21 at Canberra and Adelaide.
The three-match ODI series will be played on February 24, 27 and March 1.
The first match will be held at Brisbane's Allan Border Field while the next two will be at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart.
The one-off Test between India and Australia will be played at the iconic WACA Ground in Perth from March 6 to 9. Following this, Molineux will be Australia's captain in all formats starting with a tour of the West Indies in March.
While Tahlia McGrath was retained as the vice-captain, another spin bowling all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner has been appointed as co-vice-captain.
Nicola Carey, who is currently playing for Mumbai Indians in the Women's Premier League, has returned to the white-ball formats while 19-year-old Lucy Hamilton, in the Delhi Capitals' camp, has been named in the Test side.
The selectors have also named Phoebe Litchfield in their squads across formats despite the left-handed batter being ruled out of the ongoing WPL. While Alana King has been excluded from the T20I squad, Megan Schutt, Grace Harris and Heather Graham do not feature in the ODI side.
Schutt was expected to retire from ODIs after Australia's loss to India in the World Cup semifinal last year.
The 28-year-old Molineux has also been the youngest captain in the Women's Big Bash League when she took over the reigns from Meg Lanning at Melbourne Renegades, and went on to lead Victoria later.
Australia Squads in T20Is: Sophie Molineux (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham.
ODIs: Alyssa Healy (c), Sophie Molineux (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham.
One-off Test: Alyssa Healy (c), Sophie Molineux (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham.