Sophie Ecclestone, the England cricketer, recently spoke candidly about her bond with teammate Alex Hartley. This follows a particularly tense moment in January which tested their relationship on and off the field throughout the Women’s Ashes series. This is her first on-the-record statement, publicly or privately, since the incident. She shared that she hadn’t talked to Hartley since that fateful day. Ecclestone praised the fact that both players were able to move on from that hostile chapter. Today, they are looking ahead to their futures.
The England women’s captaincy is vacant after Heather Knight’s retirement. Charlotte Edwards has stepped down relieving her captaincy duties, but the search for a new captain goes on. One thing Edwards has been clear about from the start is that she wants to hold players accountable, especially in their fitness and overall performance. Ecclestone is interested in taking over captaincy. She is very much unsure if it’s the “right time” for her to assume those leadership roles.
Ecclestone was vice-captain of the England team and made her debut at the age of only 17 in 2016. She articulated her enthusiasm for the upcoming summer, stating, “We have got a really exciting summer this year and I am really excited to get back with England and playing West Indies and India again.”
Despite the challenges faced during the Ashes series, where England found themselves down 6-0 in a multi-format points-based competition, Ecclestone conveyed a positive outlook. “It is a new era now and we are all excited to start working hard and hopefully get a few trophies this year,” she remarked.
Looking back on the Hartley episode, Sawchuk clearly understands that people have a variety of views on what happened. She definitely drew a hard line that they’re past that. “Everyone has got their own opinion and everyone is entitled to that,” Ecclestone said. She continued, “Few people get to witness the effort that we put in behind the scenes as cricketers and individuals. People can have their own opinion.
Hartley reflected on their on-field relationship, showing big-time respect between the two players. Hartley responded to claims suggesting that he and Sophie do not respect each other. He reaffirmed that they are past it and that they’ll stay in the past.
The England squad prepares for an intensive summer playing schedule. In the meantime, Ecclestone continues to be intent on creating a positive culture and team-first approach. The decision regarding the new captaincy will be crucial as the team looks to rebuild and strengthen its performance following recent challenges.
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