Sophie Ecclestone, England’s 26-year-old left-arm spinner, and the world’s top ODI bowler and T20 all-rounder, has declared herself unavailable for domestic cricket. She wants to focus more on self-care and take care of nagging injuries. It proved a difficult six months for Ecclestone. In between she played in the Ashes series against Australia and later knee problems sidelined her from several matches.
Ecclestone has been plagued with injury concerns in recent months, suffering a quad strain that led to her withdrawal from a game against Hampshire. For years, she dazzled with her artistic ability and led the U.S. to great success on and off the field. A succession of physical issues ruled her out of selection for the current series.
England’s coach, Charlotte Edwards, clarified that Ecclestone’s omission from the first squad under her new leadership was solely related to her knee injury, not any other controversies. Edwards stated, “We’ve got four of the best spinners in world cricket at the moment, which we’re blessed to have, and going into a World Cup in India, who knows, we could be taking all four of them. Sophie’s going to be a huge part of that too.”
Earlier this year, Ecclestone represented UP Warriorz in India’s Women’s Premier League. She suffered an injury blow and was out for two months, missing the opening of Lancashire’s domestic season. So far, she’s played two first-class matches and six T20s for her county.
Edwards was optimistic about Ecclestone’s further involvement with the team. But as you know, she’s obviously one of the best spinners in the world. Brace yourself for some difficult choices in the coming week! Our aspiration for this team is to have each person show up prepared to do their best work. There’s been some wonderful performances,” she noted.
As Ecclestone comes away from action, the player and coaching staff will surely continue to hold out hope for her full recovery. Edwards went on to declare unabashedly, Ecclestone’s full support. They will continue placing her health first as they prepare for the 2024 international competition season.
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