Heather Graham named as replacement after X-factor's injury suffered on eve of ICC event in India
Calf blow rules Harris out of World Cup
Grace Harris’ hopes of a long-awaited ODI World Cup debut have been dashed, with the allrounder ruled out of Australia’s squad due to injury.
Harris made her first one-day international appearance since March 2024 in Australia’s 43-run win over India in Delhi on Sunday, but suffered a calf strain during Australia’s fielding innings.
The Queensland allrounder will now return home to rehabilitate ahead of the Weber WBBL starting on November 9.
Heather Graham will replace Harris in the 15-player World Cup squad, and will join the side in India following Western Australia’s opening two Women’s National Cricket League matches this Wednesday and Friday.
The injury is a cruel blow for the 32-year-old Harris, who had hoped to play her first ODI World Cup match during the tournament in India and Sri Lanka.
Harris was also part of the 2022 World Cup squad without making the final XI. Despite not being a one-day regular for Australia, she forced her way into the 2025 squad off the back of a red-hot white-ball stint in English domestic cricket in recent months.
Having signed up for a prolonged UK stay in the hopes of finessing her game in English conditions ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup, Harris starred for Surrey in the T20 Blast scoring 338 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 156 in the T20 Blast, including a match-winning 63no from 33 balls in the final.
She then carried that form across town, striking 214 runs at an average of 35.66 and strike rate of 174 for London Spirit in the Hundred.
Despite her blistering form, Harris was only an outside chance of making the Australia XI during this World Cup, given their established top seven of Alyssa Healy, Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner and Tahlia McGrath.
Her call-up for the final ODI in Delhi came when Sutherland was ruled out with hip soreness.
However, she would have offered Australia an 'X-factor' – particularly if conditions throughout the tournament prove as batting friendly as those in last week’s ODI series against India – via her powerful lower-order hitting and considerable experience in Indian conditions.
The Australian squad are enjoying a four-day break from training in Bengaluru this week to refresh ahead of the warm-up game against England on Sunday.
Sutherland (hip), Phoebe Litchfield (quad) and Darcie Brown (back spasms) all missed the final one-dayer with minor niggles, with Australian medical stuff taking a cautious approach given the busy schedule ahead.
2025 Women's ODI World Cup
Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham
Australia's warm-up match
September 28: v England, Bengaluru, Bengaluru, 7:30pm AEST
Australia's group stage matches
October 1: v New Zealand, Holkar Stadium, Indore, 7:30pm AEST
October 4: v Sri Lanka, R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 7:30pm AEST
October 8: v Pakistan, R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 8:30pm AEDT
October 12: v India, ACA-VDCA Stadium Visakhapatnam, 8:30pm AEDT
October 16: v Bangladesh, ACA-VDCA Stadium Visakhapatnam, 8:30pm AEDT
October 22: v England, Holkar Stadium, Indore, 8:30pm AEDT
October 25: v South Africa, Holkar Stadium, Indore, 8:30pm AEDT
Finals
Semi-final 1: Guwahati or Colombo*, October 29, 8:30pm AEDT
Semi-final 2: Mumbai, October 30, 8:30pm AEDT
Final: Mumbai or Colombo*, November 2, 8:30pm AEDT
All matches to be broadcast exclusively live and free on Prime Video.