Mooney to lead Scorchers as Devine’s reign ends

Perth Scorchers have named Australia wicketkeeper-batter Beth Mooney as their new captain for WBBL|12, replacing New Zealand international Sophie Devine. Devine stepped down after leading the franchise for six seasons, which included winning their lone WBBL title in WBBL|07. Mooney, who has played 80 matches for Perth since joining in 2020, takes over leadership duties ahead of their upcoming season opener against Melbourne Renegades.

Scorchers head coach Becky Grundy downplayed concerns that the captaincy might impact Mooney's prolific form, expressing confidence in her leadership pedigree. Mooney is the WBBL's all-time leading run-scorer with 5,600 runs and holds the top spot in the ICC women's T20 international batting rankings. She previously gained franchise captaincy experience leading Gujarat Giants in the Women's Premier League and Manchester Super Giants in The Hundred.