New Delhi: All-rounder Alice Capsey has been called up to the England women’s T20I squad for the upcoming tour in South Africa. England will play three T20s and as many ODIs before playing a four-day Test match on the tour happening from November 24 to December 18.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said Alice, 20, will now link up with the T20I team due to a couple of minor injury concerns within the squad. It added that Alice, who has been playing for Melbourne Renegades in the ongoing Women’s Big Bash League, will join the England team in South Africa on Monday.
Alice had initially been left out of the T20I squad after she suffered a slump in form in three innings in this year’s Women’s T20 World Cup, where England suffered a group-stage exit. In her place, all-rounder Paige Scholfield, who made her senior international debut in bilateral series in Ireland, was included in the T20I squad.
While announcing the squads, head coach Jon Lewis had said at that time that Alice was urged to find consistency with the bat in her time out of T20I team. “What I do know about Alice is that she’s incredibly strong-willed and really determined to be the best player she can be.”
“I’m really convinced that over a period of time this will be a line in the sand for her to look back and say ‘actually, I just need to adapt my game and play slightly more consistently when I pull on an England shirt’.”
“There is no doubt in my mind that over time she will play lots and lots of games for England in all formats of the game, but at the moment she is just trending in the wrong direction and we need to have a little reset, to be honest.”
England begin their three-match T20I series against South Africa in East London on November 24, followed by games in Benoni and East London on November 27 and 30 respectively.
England Women T20I squad: Heather Knight (captain), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp, Paige Scholfield, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Linsey Smith, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, and Alice Capsey
–IANS