Matthews to Miss WBBL Season Due to Shoulder Surgery

The Melbourne Renegades have been hit with a major setback just hours before the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) draft, as star allrounder Hayley Matthews has been ruled out of the upcoming season due to an impending shoulder surgery.

Matthews, who had been secured by the Renegades as a pre-draft recruit for two years, suffered the injury while fielding during the first ODI against England. Though she missed the remainder of that series, the West Indies captain has continued playing in subsequent matches, including home ODIs against South Africa and the upcoming T20I series. She will also feature in the Women's Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) in September for the Barbados Royals before undergoing surgery.

The timing of the procedure means Matthews will miss the entire WBBL season and the Women's ODI World Cup, for which the West Indies failed to qualify.

“We are clearly disappointed Hayley won't be with us this season,” said Renegades general manager James Rosengarten. “She’s been instrumental during her time with the Renegades, not just with her performances but with her leadership and professionalism. Hayley loves this club and we share in her disappointment.”

Matthews was pivotal in the Renegades' historic title win last season, finishing as their top scorer with 324 runs at a strike rate of 130.64 and the second-highest wicket-taker with 14 wickets at an economy of 6.98. Her match-winning performance in the final against Brisbane Heat—69 off 61 balls and 2 for 24—earned her Player of the Match honors.

With Matthews unavailable, the Renegades will now look to fill all three overseas slots during Thursday’s WBBL draft in Melbourne.