Beth Mooney’s short spell in the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) came to an end on Thursday as a calf injury sidelined the Gujarat Giants skipper for the remainder of the current tournament.
Mooney’s calf will take up to six weeks to heal after she injured it in the Gujarat T20 tournament opener last weekend. The 29-year-old has missed the next two matches and will now return for her rehabilitation, with South African Laura Wolvaardt replacing him in the Gujarat squad.
Her Super Women team released Wolvaard, who was in Pakistan to participate in the women’s team exhibition match.
“I was really looking forward to the maiden WPL season but unfortunately injures are part and parcel of the sport and I am gutted to be missing the remainder of the season,” Mooney said in a statement.
“I will be keeping a close eye on the team’s performance from afar and will be rooting for them every single day,” she said about Gujarat, who are fourth in the five-team league after one win and two losses.
“Though I will be away from the field of play for the rest of the season, I am looking forward to coming back stronger, and fitter and I will be hungrier next season.”
Mooney, one of three Australians to manage the team in the first year of the WPL, was Australia’s top scorer in their last T20 win over South Africa in February.
Apart from Mooney, fellow Aussies Alyssa Healy and Meg Lanning play for UP Warriors and Delhi Capitals respectively.
