The England men’s cricket team is in crisis mode. Their ace bowler, Sophie Ecclestone, is out with a recent quad injury. Ecclestone was ruled out of Lancashire’s T20 fixture with Hampshire on Tuesday. This decision brought into question her fitness in the lead up to the 5-match T20I series against India.
Ecclestone, just recently returning from a major injury, took another blow after being out for quite some time. He was still nursing a knee injury he suffered earlier this year. The 26-year-old left-arm spinner just returned to competitive cricket following a near two-month hiatus. She had recently completed her first season with the UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League. She returned to action in the County Championship for Lancashire against Warwickshire. This was just days after England dropped her from consideration for their squad for the ongoing series against the West Indies.
In the days ahead, experts will assess the extent of Ecclestone’s latest boo-boo. This assessment will give key insights that will be important to her and that national team moving forward. The England coaching staff under Charlotte Edwards are hopeful Ecclestone will be fit. They would like her fit for the home series against India on June 28, which is backed up with five T20 matches followed by three One Day Internationals (ODIs).
Ecclestone’s absence from the West Indies series raised some eyebrows. This is especially interesting considering that this isn’t even directly related to any of the drama surrounding England’s dismal Ashes tour in Australia earlier this year. During that tour, Ecclestone faced scrutiny and chose to decline a television interview conducted by former spinner Alex Hartley, who had publicly criticized England’s fitness levels.
Though Ecclestone’s absence from the squad has understandably made headlines, it’s part of a specific and positive recovery plan. Last week, Linsey Smith took center stage on her ODI debut at Derby. That competition proved intense, with Davidson-Richards taking five wickets and forcing the England team even more under pressure for places.
England will need to be ready for the difficult home series with India. They continue to entertain hopes that their best bowler might still come back. Ecclestone’s experience and skill as a left-arm spinner are invaluable assets the team will be glad for.
Leave a Reply