Australia captain Meg Lanning has been ruled out of next month's Ashes series due to medical reasons under the direction of Cricket Australia.
A return timeframe has not been set for the star hitter, however, Cricket Australia confirmed on Saturday that Lanning won't feature in the upcoming abroad trip to England.
Alyssa Healy has been promoted to captain of Australia, with Tahlia McGrath stepping into the vice-captaincy role in Healy's place. A squad replacement has not been named for the absent Lanning, with Australia able to call upon its Australia A squad members who are also touring.
Head of performance Shawn Flegler said Lanning will remain at home as she looks to return from the undisclosed injury.
โIt's an unfortunate setback for Meg and she's obviously disappointed to have been ruled out of the Ashes," Flegler said in a CA statement.
"It's a significant series for the team and she'll be missed, but she understands the need to put her health first.
โMeg will remain at home where she will continue to work with medical staff with the aim to return to playing as soon as possible.
โWe ask that Meg's privacy is respected at this time.โ
Lanning took six months away from the game in the past year for personal reasons and would return ahead of Australia's successful T20 World Cup run.
The women's Ashes campaign will commence on June 22 with a Test match at Trent Bridge before six white-ball fixtures through to mid-July.
