Australia skipper Meg Lanning will miss the Women's Ashes series due to an ongoing shoulder problem.
Lanning missed games at the recent Women's World Cup as she rested her injured right shoulder, but surgery has put her out of action for the series against England, which starts on October 22 at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.
The 25-year-old is now set for a rehabilitation period of six to eight months, according to team physiotherapist Kate Mahony.
"Whilst it's very disappointing to be unavailable for the Ashes, I'm looking forward to getting stuck into my rehabilitation and returning to cricket as soon as possible," Lanning said.
"It's an incredibly special occasion for any cricketer to be a part of and I wish the team all the best as they set out to retain the Ashes."
Lanning had a lean run in the 2015 Ashes series, scoring just 249 runs at an average of 31 across eight innings in the series, which combines one Test, three 50-over games and three Twenty20s.
Despite her poor Ashes record, Lanning is one of the best batters in the game and has averaged 70, with five centuries, in 24 ODIs since the end of the series in England.
