Emdad Rahman
The England Cricket Board (ECB) has announced the England women’s squads to play India and South Africa this summer. England is due to host India from 13th-16th August in a one off Kia Women’s test match with Charlotte Edwards at the helm. The test game will be followed by a three game Royal London One Day International series – part of the first round of the new ICC Women’s Championship. As part of the announcement, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) named the international squads to face India and South Africa this summer. The women will also compete against South Africa in three Natwest Twenty20 internationals in September.
Yorkshire fast bowler Katherine Brunt, who was sidelined during the team’s momentous Ashes victory in Perth at the beginning of the year, is a valuable addition to the Royal London ODI and Natwest T20I squads. During a media breakfast she said: “It’s not been nice at all and it’s just great to be back. All I want to do is go out, enjoy myself and help win some games.”
England women’s captain, Charlotte Edwards was joined by several members of the England women’s team following the announcement at 8.00am. She said: “We’re looking forward to India arriving and focussing on a positive result on the test match next week. The test match is next week, which I’m really looking forward to. Hopefully there’s a few more years left, especially with lots of exciting, big tournaments coming up, the ashes next summer and the 2017 World Cup.” Edwards is a huge role model for aspirational as well as established cricketers, with even her team mates selecting her as their favourite player. The captain offered sound advice for anyone seeking to emulate her achievements: “Try to play as match as you can at school level, I think that’s really important. There’s lots of cricket being played now in inner cities and all over the country. We’ve just had 1 million girls go through the Chance to Shine scheme, which is fantastic. It’s just about motivating oneself to get down there, and even if it’s with boys and men’s cricket, to get involved. We have over 600 cricket teams in England now that offer girls and women’s cricket, so I don’t think there’s any excuse for anyone not to get involved now.”
Anya Shrubsole said: “We’re really looking forward to the upcoming games. It’s been a long while since we were together and we’re hopeful of having a successful series starting with the test.”
England’s bowling unit will be further bolstered in the NatWest T20I series against South Africa by the return of Kent’s young left-arm seamer Natasha Farrant, who missed the recent ICC World Twenty20 tournament in Bangladesh through injury. Farrant, 18 is the youngest player in the squad and she is in the Twenty20 squad. Farrant’s greatest influence is her older brother Charlie: “I have two older brothers and the amount of time Charlie spent in the nets with me was phenomenal. He singlehandedly started my career.” Farrant’s cricketing inspirations are Jimmy Anderson, Charlotte Edwards and Michael Holding. She also offered advice to young cricketers: “Whenever you can just go out and play, it’s the easiest thing to do. Don’t get hung up on facilities, just play as it’s also a great way to make friends.”
ECC Head of England Women’s Cricket, Clare Connor, said: “The three squads for the series against India and South Africa have been selected from a position of real strength, and I am delighted that both Katherine Brunt and Natasha Farrant will return to international action this summer.” “Appointed to the role of vice-captain, Heather Knight now has the opportunity to learn from the most experienced international captain in the world as she works alongside Charlotte Edwards to help lead the England women’s team at the start of a new professional era for the women’s game.”
Warwickshire’s left-arm spinner Rebecca Grundy has been included in the Kia Women’s Test and Royal London ODI squads for the first time, having made her international debut and impressed with her performances in Bangladesh. Right-arm medium pace bowler, Sonia Odedra from Nottinghamshire, has also been called-up to the Test squad for the first time after Sussex’s Georgia Elwiss has been ruled out of action for the rest of the summer with a broken hand.
England women’s 2014 international summer schedule
India women 13.08.14-16.08.14 Kia Women’s Test Match Wormsley Cricket Ground 21.08.14 1st Royal London ODI * Scarborough Cricket Club 23.08.14 2nd Royal London ODI * Scarborough Cricket Club 25.08.14 3rd Royal London ODI * Lord’s Cricket Ground *ICC Women’s Championship fixtures
South Africa women 01.09.14 1st NatWest T20I The Essex County Ground, Chelmsford 03.09.14 2nd NatWest T20I The County Ground, Northampton 07.09.14 3rd NatWest T20I Edgbaston
Follow England women’s 2014 international summer live via the following media. •Live radio commentary will be provided by BBC Radio 5Live Sports Extra and online on www.bbc.co.uk/cricket for all England women’s fixtures. •A live video stream of the three Royal London ODIs will be available to view via www.youtube.com/ecbcricket and www.ecb.co.uk. •Live television coverage of the three NatWest T20Is will be available on Sky Sports.