England announce squad for Women's T20 World Cup; Heather Knight to lead

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) recently announced its 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024, set to take place in the United Arab Emirates this October. The selection, led by Head Coach Jon Lewis and Captain Heather Knight, consists of both experienced and emerging talents.

The squad is selected based on impressive performances in recent domestic competitions, particularly The Hundred. Notable additions include wicketkeeper-batter Bess Heath and all-rounder Freya Kemp, both earning their maiden T20 World Cup call-ups. Danielle Gibson, who served as a travelling reserve in the previous edition in South Africa, has also secured a spot in the main squad this time.

The bowling department sees the return of Sophie Ecclestone, the leading wicket-taker in the 2023 T20 World Cup, alongside spinner Linsey Smith, who recently made a comeback to the England T20 squad. Their inclusion will boost England's spin options, crucial for the UAE conditions. The pace attack features Lauren Bell, whose performances in The Hundred have earned her a place in the World Cup squad. Head Coach Jon Lewis emphasized the challenging nature of the selection process.

“Selecting teams and squads with this group of players has become incredibly tricky and tough. Some players have been really unfortunate to miss out and they’ll be a big part of what we do with England Cricket in the future. I feel the 15 players selected to give us a really well-balanced squad in terms of experience, youth and most importantly the skills to cope and excel in the conditions we feel we will be faced with in the UAE,” Lewis said in an ECB statement.

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World Cups are always special events: Heather Knight

The experienced campaigner Heather Knight, who will Captain England in another World Cup campaign, shared her excitement about the squad and the upcoming tournament. Besides, she was looking forward to the sub-continent challenges en route to ultimate glory.

“World Cups are always special events to be involved in as a player and I’m excited by the squad we have selected to take over to the UAE. It’s an honour to lead the team into another World Cup. We’re looking forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead,” Knight said.  

As England women prepare for the tournament, they will first head to Abu Dhabi for a training camp from September 13-24, followed by official ICC warm-up games. The team is placed in Group B, facing Bangladesh, South Africa, Scotland, and West Indies in the group stage matches across Sharjah and Dubai.

Also Read: India to play Pakistan on October 6, Bangladesh to host Scotland in tournament opener

England squad:

Heather Knight (c), Danni Wyatt, Sophia Dunkley, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Alice Capsey, Amy Jones (wk), Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean, Sarah Glenn, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Linsey Smith, Freya Kemp, Dani Gibson, Bess Heath.