Sophie Ecclestone has been named in England’s squads for the winter tour of India as she prepares to make her comeback from shoulder surgery.
Ecclestone, the No1-ranked white-ball bowler in the world, dislocated her shoulder while playing for the Manchester Originals during the summer’s Hundred and was subsequently ruled out of the ongoing Women’s Big Bash League in Australia.
However, the spinner has now returned to bowling and was this afternoon included in squads for both the three-match T20 series and one-off Test against India, which take place in Mumbai next month.
“She’s working her way back to fitness,” head coach Jon Lewis said. “We expect her to be fit to play but getting people back to fitness isn’t always a linear experience so we’ll see how she progresses over the next three or four weeks and hopefully she’s ready to go. The medical team are telling me she will be but I know from experience that these things aren’t always straightforward.”
England travel to Oman next week for a two-week training camp before heading on to India, with the First T20 scheduled for December 6 and the Test match starting on December 14.
A 15-player squad has been named for the short-format series, including 22-year-old wicketkeeper batter Bess Heath, who made her international debut in the ODIs against Sri Lanka this summer.
Heath is also one of two possible Test debutants alongside teenager Alice Capsey. Already established as a white-ball regular, Capsey was named in the squad for this summer's Ashes Test but is yet to make her bow having missed out on a place in the XI.
"I think she’ll be challenging for a place for sure, she’s a really talented cricketer,” Lewis said. “We’ve got a squad of 14 and all 14 are more than capable of playing Test cricket. She’s in the hunt for a place but I wouldn’t guarantee her place right now.”
Spinner Charlie Dean returns to the red-ball squad having been left out of the Ashes Test at Trent Bridge as England prepare for subcontinental conditions.
A 21-player England ‘A’ squad will also fly to Oman this Sunday for a training camp ahead of their T20 series against India ‘A’, with several first-team players also picked as part of that group.
Fast bowler Tash Farrant is named in the 'A' side following a stress fracture of the back, as is 17-year-old quick Mahika Gaur, who made England debuts in both white-ball formats in September.
Issy Wong is also included as England look to manage the seamer’s return from a difficult summer. Wong struggled badly with her run-up throughout the season and there was criticism of the decision to recall the 21-year-old for the Second T20 against Sri Lanka, where she bowled a series of front-foot no-balls.
“Issy had a really tough summer,” Lewis explained. “I said at the end of the summer that we’ll scaffold as much support around her as possible. She’s been practicing really well up at Loughborough and progressing really nicely. The next step for Issy is to get back into competitive cricket.
“To push her straight back into an England jersey would be a mistake after what she suffered in the summer. I think it’s the right thing to do to ease her back into competitive cricket with that ‘A’ series.”
England Women squads
T20 squad: Lauren Bell (Southern Vipers), Maia Bouchier (Southern Vipers), Alice Capsey (South East Stars), Charlie Dean (Southern Vipers), Sophia Dunkley (South East Stars), Sophie Ecclestone (Thunder), Mahika Gaur (Thunder), Danielle Gibson (Western Storm), Sarah Glenn (The Blaze), Bess Heath (Northern Diamonds), Amy Jones (Central Sparks), Freya Kemp (Southern Vipers), Heather Knight (captain; Western Storm), Nat Sciver-Brunt (The Blaze), Danielle Wyatt (Southern Vipers)
Test squad: Tammy Beaumont (The Blaze), Lauren Bell (Southern Vipers), Alice Capsey (South East Stars), Kate Cross (Thunder), Charlie Dean (Southern Vipers), Sophia Dunkley (South East Stars), Sophie Ecclestone (Thunder), Lauren Filer (Western Storm), Bess Heath (Northern Diamonds), Amy Jones (Central Sparks), Heather Knight (captain; Western Storm), Emma Lamb (Thunder), Nat Sciver-Brunt (The Blaze), Danielle Wyatt (Southern Vipers)
