Shelley Nitschke says Georgia Voll’s red-hot form is putting pressure on the incumbent members of Australia’s ODI XI, as selectors confront several huge calls ahead of Sunday’s Ashes opener. 

The Aussie players had their first hit out as a group in Sydney on Friday morning ahead of the first ODI at North Sydney Oval, but it was an interrupted affair, with heavy rain forcing the squad indoors partway through the session.

Speaking afterwards, Australia coach Nitschke said selectors had yet to settle on their final XI for Sunday, but agreed there was the potential for Voll – who hit 57 from 42 balls for the Governor-General’s XI on Thursday, in her first hit out since a successful debut series against India last month – to find a home outside of the top-order.

Fitting Voll in, however, would require a massive call from selectors – with the opening pair of Alyssa Healy and Phoebe Litchfield unlikely to be tinkered with, they would either need to change up the balance of their XI by leaving out a bowler, or drop an established big-name player from the middle-order. 

“It’s fantastic to have Volly playing so well, another really good innings yesterday in the Governor-General’s game and had a fantastic debut series for us,” Nitschke told reporters in Sydney on Friday. 

“Certainly putting some pressure on some spots, which is a really good opportunity for us I think.

“I think she could probably fit in anywhere … she’s probably suited more to that top order at the moment, and that’s where she played for us more recently, but that would be a discussion as to how that looks for our structure and how we go into those games.”

Selectors will also need to make a call on the make-up of the bowling attack.

Pace spearheads Megan Schutt and Kim Garth are set to take the new ball, while Ashleigh Gardner and Alana King will lead the spin attack.

Spinners Sophie Molineux and Georgia Wareham were swapped into the XI during last month’s ODI series against India, but in the New Zealand series that followed in Wellington, the pace of Darcie Brown was preferred for that final bowling spot. 

Molineux has been ruled out of the Ashes and will undergo knee surgery next week, but a call will need to be made on whether to include leg-spinner Wareham or express quick Brown.

“We’ve just got to reconvene as a selection group and have a look at our options and see what we’re all thinking and what our match-ups look like and things like that,” Nitschke said. 

“We’ve got a few options available to us, and everyone’s playing really well. 

“We’ve just got to have a bit more of a look and think about what our best XI might be.”

Nitschke said a call on whether Alyssa Healy would take the wicketkeeping gloves for Sunday’s ODI would also be made on the eve of the match.

Healy, who returned from a knee injury as a specialist batter in New Zealand, was denied the chance to keep wicket on Thursday when the Governor-General’s XI game was washed out, but did undergo a 20-minute session on the North Sydney Oval outfield when the weather cleared.

The positive for Australia is they have a second wicketkeeper in Beth Mooney already in their XI, meaning they can be flexible.

“She’s come along really well and we’ll see how she pulls up over the next 24 hours and make a decision on her, but really pleased with how she’s been going,” Nitschke said.

“I thought she was really good in the New Zealand series when she played (as a batter), she took the bowlers on early and looked quite comfortable coming back.”

Commbank Women’s Ashes 2025

First ODI: January 12: North Sydney Oval, Sydney, 10.30am AEDT

Second ODI: January 14: CitiPower Centre, Melbourne, 10.05am AEDT

Third ODI: January 17: Bellerive Oval, Hobart, 10.05am AEDT

First T20I: January 20: SCG, Sydney, 7.40pm AEDT

Second T20I: January 23: Manuka Oval, Canberra, 7.40pm AEDT

Third T20I: January 25: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, 7.10pm ACDT (7.40pm AEDT)

Australia squad (ODI/T20Is): Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris+, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath (vc), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

England squad (ODI/T20Is): Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross*, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson+, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath+, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp+, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Linsey Smith+, Danni Wyatt-Hodge

* ODIs only; + T20Is only

Day-night Test: January 30 – February 2: MCG, Melbourne, 2.30pm AEDT

Australia Test squad: TBC

England Test squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge

The rivalry resumes with a blockbuster series in Australia from Jan 12 – Feb 2. Learn about the remarkable 90-year history at the Women’s Ashes Hub