Sophia Dunkley and Tammy Beaumont have been dropped from England’s T20 squad ahead of this month’s series against Pakistan.
The pair had formed England’s opening partnership at the start of their last T20I series, in New Zealand earlier this year. Both, however, endured underwhelming tours in the format and finished the five-match series on the bench, with Danni Wyatt returning from the Women’s Premier League and Maia Bouchier making herself undroppable with a superb run of form.
The Pakistan series, which starts at Edgbaston on May 11, will form a key part of England’s fine-tuning ahead of the autumn’s World Cup in Bangladesh but head coach Jon Lewis insists the door is not yet closed on those who have been left out.
“What I was really keen to do with Tammy and Dunks is not to carry them around as spare batters,” Lewis said. “We want to give them opportunities to play regional cricket, rather than sit on the bench as experienced players.
“Tammy and Sophia will be very much in the conversation around who should be batting for England in the top-three at the World Cup.”
Beaumont had only been recalled to the T20 side after more than two years out ahead of the New Zealand series. She remains a key part of England’s ODI plans and has kept her place in the 50-over squad for the three-match series against Pakistan that follows the T20s.
Dunkley, though, has been left out of both white-ball squads after an extended run of poor form at international level. The 25-year-old averaged 10 in five innings across formats on the New Zealand tour and has just one T20I half-century since the start of 2023.
“The message I’ve sent to Sophia is that I’d like to see her back playing her best cricket,” Lewis said. “When she’s playing her best cricket, she’s one of our best cricketers.
“She’s just a little bit out of rhythm so we’ve decided to give her the space away from the bigger limelight to go and find the rhythm of batting, get back to your best and then come back to us to see if you can make an impact again in international cricket.
“I still have really strong belief that Sophia has a big future playing for England.”
There are no uncapped players in England’s squad but teenage all-rounder Freya Kemp returns to the senior team to play as a specialist batter having done likewise for the ‘A’ side on the New Zealand tour as part of her rehabilitation from a back injury.
England T20 squad: Heather Knight (C; Western Storm), Lauren Bell (Southern Vipers), Maia Bouchier (Southern Vipers), Alice Capsey (South East Stars), Charlie Dean (Southern Vipers), Sophie Ecclestone (Thunder), Lauren Filer (Western Storm), Danielle Gibson (Western Storm), Sarah Glenn (The Blaze), Bess Heath (Northern Diamonds), Amy Jones (Central Sparks), Freya Kemp (Southern Vipers), Nat Sciver-Brunt (The Blaze), Linsey Smith (Southern Vipers), Danielle Wyatt (Southern Vipers)
England ODI squad: Heather Knight (C; Western Storm), Tammy Beaumont (The Blaze), Lauren Bell (Southern Vipers), Maia Bouchier (Southern Vipers), Alice Capsey (South East Stars), Kate Cross (Thunder), Charlie Dean (Southern Vipers), Sophie Ecclestone (Thunder), Lauren Filer (Western Storm), Sarah Glenn (The Blaze), Amy Jones (Central Sparks), Nat Sciver-Brunt (The Blaze), Danielle Wyatt (Southern Vipers)
