England Women skipper Heather Knight and vice-captain Nat Sciver return to squad for West Indies series | Cricket News

November 22, 2022 admin

England captain Heather Knight and deputy Nat Sciver have returned to the squad for December’s white-ball tour of West Indies, while Lauren Winfield-Hill has been handed a T20 international recall.

Knight missed this summer’s Commonwealth Games with a hip injury and then also sat out the matches at home to India in September after undergoing surgery to fix the issue, while all-rounder Sciver withdrew from the India series in order to focus on her mental health.

Knight and Sciver are back for the three one-day internationals and five T20 internationals in the Caribbean, which will be played between December 4 and December 22.

Bowler Katherine Brunt is back in the T20 squad after being rested for the India series, while top-order batter Winfield-Hill has been rewarded for successful Hundred and Women’s Big Bash tournaments with a recall to the T20 squad and could make her first England appearance in that format since 2020.

Winfield-Hill lost her central contract for the 2022-23 season and has not played for her country since March, when she was dismissed for 12 against West Indies during the 50-over World Cup in New Zealand.

The T20 internationals will take on added importance as England prepare for February’s T20 World Cup in South Africa, a tournament they will be aiming to win for the first time since 2009.

The games against West Indies will be the first since Jon Lewis succeeded Lisa Keightley as head coach, with Keightley stepping down from the role after three years in charge.

The ODIs come first with games in Antigua on December 4, 6 and 9, before the first T20 is held at the same venue on December 11 and Barbados then hosts the final four matches on December 14, 17, 18 and 22.

The ODIs all start at 6pm UK time with the T20s getting under way at 10pm UK time.

Lewis said: “I’m really excited to get to the West Indies and start working with this group. Though I wasn’t involved in selection for this trip, we did have some brief discussions in the lead up to selection and I’m pleased for everyone who’s been selected.

“It’s great to have Heather, Nat and Katherine back in the group. The quality and experience they bring can only add huge value both on and off the field. We will manage Katherine back into competitive cricket with an eye on the T20 World Cup in February.

“Equally, for Lauren, it’s pleasing to see a player go through a tough period and come back stronger, while demonstrating terrific form at domestic and franchise level.

“I have been particularly impressed with Lauren’s ability to put the bowlers under pressure and score at an impressive run rate in the powerplay.”

Left-arm seamer Tash Farrant remains on the sidelines as she continues to recover from a stress fracture of the back.

England ODI squad: Heather Knight (captain), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Alice Davidson-Richards, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp, Emma Lamb, Nat Sciver, Danni Wyatt

England T20 squad: Heather Knight (captain), Lauren Bell, Katherine Brunt, Alice Capsey, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp, Nat Sciver, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Issy Wong, Danni Wyatt