Sophie Molineux is relishing the added role of captain in Australia’s dominant campaign
Here is the transcript of Sophie Molineux’s pre-clash vs India press conference
(Reporter:)
First training session at Lord’s, how does it feel to get onto a ground that is so iconic?
(Sophie Molineux:)
Yeah, it was really cool. It was good. We also had a few days off so everyone was very excited to get out and run. The sun was shining and it was nice and warm so it was good to get there. We did a little field and then went back and had some skills. So yeah, it was a big session and I think the girls got a lot out of it.
(Reporter:)
I saw Phoebe training today. Is she all fit and looking good for Sunday?
(Sophie Molineux:)
Yeah, he looks good. She was fully training today, kind of building up and has been pretty good for the last maybe week. So yeah, she’s going to be good, which is exciting for us.
(Reporter:)
I must have seen Beth there too. How did she get up after the dislocations last night?
(Sophie Molineux:)
She said it felt really good. It doesn’t look puffy or anything like that, which is a miracle. And she’s tough, so she’ll be totally fine on Sunday and beyond. But yeah, I don’t begrudge her that it came out twice in one game and she stayed. But yeah, she’s tough and she’s done a lot for us over the years and it’s no different.
(Reporter:)
It will be do or die for India on Sunday. How good a test will this be for you when maybe you haven’t had much pressure in the last few games?
(Sophie Molineux:)
Yeah, I suppose we’re in a slightly different situation than India. We still need to win and make sure we finish where we want to be placed. And yes, we know there’s a little bit of pressure on them, and I think we can maybe double that and put pressure on them fairly early in the game as well. But yeah, the games against India are always, always good, always intense, but it’s a sell-out crowd so we know it’s going to be a big occasion and we’re really looking forward to it.
(Reporter:)
Your first World Cup as skipper – we’re approaching crunch time – how have you enjoyed it so far, but how much are you looking forward to this next season?
(Sophie Molineux:)
Yeah, I loved it. It was definitely a bit different than my previous World Cup. There’s probably a bit more responsibility and things to do, but at the same time, I absolutely loved it. I suppose at World Cups you ride the waves and as a group we’ve been really good and consistent over the last few months. So yeah, I’m looking forward to the next week or so. That’s what we’re doing all the hard work for, and I feel like we’re really well placed as a group for what’s next.
(Reporter:)
I think we’ve seen some clips on social media of you in Lycra during a stretching session and things like that, I guess to keep the humor up and to keep morale up. How important was that in terms of something you want to establish from your captain’s point of view to try to really make sure the spirits stay high in that group?
(Sophie Molineux:)
You can’t get away with anything these days, but I suppose we did a bit of bus travel, there was, there was a bit of time where we were going from place to place, and I suppose there’s two ways of looking at it. One, it’s a problem. Or two, it’s a great opportunity to sit on the bus and bond with each other, review and review games. And then I guess the flip side is just making sure we stay optimistic. And that’s probably a big part, I suppose, of my leadership to make sure the group is in a good place. And I suppose when the time is right – I don’t always get it right, but sometimes when you feel like the group needs a little something, I’m happy to do it. I think there are a few other characters in the group that will do this next time. Well, I hope so anyway. But yeah, no, it was kind of fun. I enjoy these things too.
(Reporter:)
In terms of your own experience with this team, when they’ve won World Cups, when they haven’t won World Cups, what do you reflect on in terms of next week and a little bit if you want to go all the way? Is the key thing that you want this team to have some kind of control to make sure your focus doesn’t go too far, maybe the final before the semi or something like that?
(Sophie Molineux:)
Yeah, that’s a big deal. He literally tries to live in the moment and be present as much as possible. It’s so easy in a tournament or a World Cup, when there’s a lot of expectation or attention or pressure or whatever it is, to skip ahead. But it just doesn’t work at the World Cup. Every game has something to it. And I think so, we — Shelle and I kind of said at the beginning of the tournament to make sure we’re going to enjoy the whole World Cup journey. And whether it’s bus rides or training or mobility or just a team meeting or some dinner together or something like that, make sure we’re in the moment and enjoying it. And you can really feel the band taking it on board. And it’s been a really enjoyable tour so far. And we know – that this week can also be really special. So I think what we can control is either today’s practice or the next ball when we play. That’s a big focus for us so we don’t get too far ahead.
(Reporter:)
As a captain, of course, with – hopefully, if Phoebe gets through everything, if she goes back into the pick dispute, it’s going to mean somebody has to drop out. In terms of those players, how much of a say do you have in terms of whether it’s a bowling option as someone who likes to rotate their bowlers a lot, someone who is maybe a bit of a shorter batsman, what kind of preference do you have as a captain in terms of trying to get Phoebe back into the team?
(Sophie Molineux:)
Yeah, Phoebe is obviously going to rank high there and there’s going to be someone who’s going to be really unlucky and have to drop out. Who, I’m not too sure. We’ll probably have to watch this pitch. It’s a bit under the sun at the moment so we’ll probably have to look at that and the beauty of our team is the depth that we have and we’ve had to use it at different points on this tour and yes, in terms of how it’s going to play out on Sunday, we’re not quite sure yet.
(Reporter:)
How late are you willing to leave this call? Obviously, South Africa and Bangladesh are playing in the morning. Could you even wait and see how the game turns out?
(Sophie Molineux:)
Yeah, we could. I’m not sure if we will this time, but we did it against South Africa in the first game. We named 12 – or internally and decided in the morning before watching the game in front of us. But yeah, I’m not sure if we’ll do it this time, but yeah, we’ve done it before, so if we have to, we’ll probably go that route too.
(Reporter:)
It was back-to-back matches where I think two of the highest totals Australia have scored in T20 World Cups. How important are these overs in terms of getting the team off to a good start and making sure you can go on and put up big totals?
(Sophie Molineux:)
Yeah, it depends on what we want to do as a team and how we want to play. Our batting order is full of explosiveness and players who are naturally really good hitters and will do so at a high rate. So it’s, I guess, just unlocking it and making the girls feel free in and after powerhouse. And I think I was really pleased to see everyone kind of get involved in the runs in the different games that we played. So it’s nice to have everyone take a little time out of the middle at some point during the tournament and hopefully that will make our top order and mid order good next time.
(Reporter:)
And I know the team, everybody in that 11, is confident that you’re basically down to 11. How much of that comes into play when it’s in those middle games, we’re taking a few more risks, we know, well, we’ve got players in the shed that could still have an impact on that game, that maybe that leads to a little bit more of an aggressive approach than other teams might do?
(Sophie Molineux:)
Yes, naturally I think it probably is. And a big part of this group is that we all trust each other, we all support each other, whether it’s with the bat or the ball. I think there’s a good level of trust and support, so that helps too, I suppose.