Australia’s star batter targets World Cup (WC) redemption as a packed calendar and the prospect of a home Olympics fuel her ambitions to extend her career.
Australia batter and wicketkeeper Beth Mooney is looking beyond her 100th ODI, with the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2029 and a potential Olympic appearance in Brisbane in 2032 among her long-term ambitions.
The 32-year-old is set to reach the milestone in the third and final ODI against Bangladesh at Allan Border Field on Wednesday, October 14. Australia have already secured the series with an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Mooney has scored 3,288 runs at an average of 49.81 in ODIs, including six centuries, ranking seventh on Australia’s all-time run-scoring list in the format.
Australia’s semi-final defeat to India at the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup remains a key motivation for Mooney as she looks to help her side reclaim the title in 2029.
“I think there was a lot of bitter disappointment from that World Cup loss in India 12 months ago now, and looking ahead we’ve obviously come off a T20 World Cup win, we’ve got a Champions Trophy, there are a lot of ICC events and Ashes series and big series coming up,” Mooney was quoted by AAP.
A historic win from India to win the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 semi-final against Australia.
The southpaw was instrumental in Australia’s Women’s T20 World Cup win earlier this year, as she scored 238 runs in seven innings, which included an unbeaten 64 off 49 in the Final against England.
However, after guiding Australia to a record seventh Women’s T20 World Cup title, Mooney is keen to add the 2029 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup to her trophy collection.
“But the 50-over one is what you want to win as well, so I guess the motivation for me now is to play well enough in the next few years to put my hand up for selection in that [2029] World Cup, but also contribute positively into a format of the game that is constantly changing and evolving.”
Watch the best of Aramco Player of the Tournament, Beth Mooney at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.
With cricket set to feature at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and potentially at Brisbane 2032, Mooney also sees opportunities to extend her career.
“Certainly the Olympics is definitely an enticing one for players to hang around a bit longer,” Mooney said.
“But I think the exciting part is there’s always something on the calendar, so it’d be pretty hard to retire at this point.”
A home Olympics could offer Mooney the chance to compete at 38 provided she continues to perform at the highest level.
“Hopefully I’m still around, but that’s a long way away,” she said. “There’s a lot of cricket to be played between now and then, a lot of tournaments to play with this Australian team and in franchise cricket, so my main focus is to contribute as much as I can to those, and also help the younger players along the way as well.”
Mooney also welcomed the aggressive approach of young openers Georgia Voll and Phoebe Litchfield, who shared a 162-run opening stand in Australia’s nine-wicket win over Bangladesh in the second ODI.
“I guess that’s what excited me the most, is the fact that the 50-over game is becoming a lot more modern, and we’re seeing Phoebe and Georgia really take the game on,” Mooney said.
“Who knows how many runs we might be able to score in a 50-over game one day? That’s sort of driving me at the moment.”
Upon conclusion of the Bangladesh ODIs, Australia will take on Trans-Tasman rivals, New Zealand in a three-match T20I series at home, with the maiden ICC Women’s Champions Trophy on the horizon early next year.