Sophie Ecclestone, an England cricketer, will take a hiatus from domestic cricket to manage her quad injury and welfare. The 26-year-old is the world’s number one ODI bowler, but was left out of England’s squad due to a knee injury.
Sophie Ecclestone will be eligible for England’s white-ball series against India, which starts at Trent Bridge on June 28.
The left-arm spinner was sidelined for two months following her appearance in the Women’s Premier League for UP Warriorz, missing the start of Lancashire’s domestic season. She has played two One-Dayers and six T20s for her county since then, however she withdrew from the match against Hampshire due to a quad injury.
“Sophie has been managing a quad niggle for the past week, but more importantly, she wants to take a short break from cricket to look after herself,” said England coach Charlotte Edwards.
“We’re completely behind that. We hope to be able to select Sophie for the India series, but what matters most to her right now is that she feels well. “We all agree that taking a break now could help her achieve that,” she added.
Mental health is crucial. Hartley
England claimed that Ecclestone’s exclusion from the squad for the present West Indies series is unrelated to the issue surrounding their poor Ashes trip of Australia earlier in 2025.
During England’s 16-0 series loss, she rejected to do a TV interview with former teammate Alex Hartley, who had previously criticised the team’s fitness levels during the T20 World Cup in November.
Despite the challenges, England recovered to overcome the West Indies in both the ODI and T20I series. They are now preparing to face India, which will also host the 50-over World Cup later this September.
“Mental health is incredibly essential. If she [Ecclestone] believes she needs a rest, and if missing a series or a bit of domestic cricket means she’s ready for the World Cup, that’s what we want,” Hartley told BBC Test Match Special.
India
