All-rounder Nat Sciver has been appointed all format vice-captain of the England Women’s team. She would start her tenure with the three format encounters against India Women at home. The England squad for the one-off Tests was announced on June 9. Pacer Emily Arlott, who has picked up eight wickets in three games including a hattrick in her last outing in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy this weekend has earned a maiden call up to the squad.
Head Coach Lisa Keightley, while speaking on the selection of the 17 member squad said, “It’s been hard to pick a squad given the balance of needing cover in a COVID world while wanting to give players as much chance as possible to play cricket.”
This English squad would further be trimmed ahead of the start of the Test on June 16. This would be done to make sure that non-playing members are sent back to play in the RHF trophy. “We want players to have opportunities out in the middle so we’re looking to reduce our numbers slightly ahead of the Test to give the non-selected players that chance,” Keightley added.
The coach is further pumped up as she takes the India series as a first step towards the upcoming Ashes, then the two World Cups and the Commonwealth Games in which Women’s cricket has been introduced for the first time.
“I’m really excited by the summer ahead. We’ve been working really hard across the last 10 weeks, India are a strong side and it’s the beginning of a two-year journey for us that takes in two ICC World Cups, an Ashes and the Commonwealth Games,” she said.
The one-off Test will be played at Bristol County Ground starting June 16. It would be the two teams' second meeting on the red ball format in seven years. In the last meeting, India triumphed by six wickets.
Squad: Heather Knight (C), Emily Arlott, Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Georgia Elwiss, Tash Farrant, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver (VC), Anya Shrubsole, Mady Villiers, Fran Wilson, Lauren Winfield-Hill