Sophie Ecclestone has decided to take a break from all cricket to prioritise her “well-being” ahead of England’s white-ball series against India.
The England and Wales Cricket Board has said she remains available for selection for the five T20s and three ODIs against India in June and July, but she has not played for the national side since the 16-0 whitewash Ashes defeat at the start of the year.
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Ecclestone was left out of Charlotte Edwards’ first England squad against the West Indies with a knee injury sustained over the winter, although she returned to domestic cricket the same day as the squad announcement.
Ecclestone, who tops the ICC’s T20I and 50-over bowling rankings, has been playing in the domestic white-ball competitions until as recently as June 1, and was part of the Lancashire side that won the T20 County Cup in May.
In her eight domestic games this season, she has taken 14 wickets across the two formats at an average of 11.
Ecclestone is ranked No 1 in the ICC T20I and 50-over bowling rankings – Getty Images/Alex Davidson
England Women’s head coach Charlotte Edwards said: “Sophie has been managing a quad niggle over the past week but more importantly she wants to take a step back from cricket for a short period to look after herself.
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“We’re totally behind that. We want to be able to select Sophie for the India series but the most important thing for her at the moment is that she feels in a better place.
“We all agree that a break now could be beneficial for her to achieve that.”
Ecclestone made headlines during England’s chastening Ashes defeat in Australia when she refused to do an interview with pundit Alex Hartley, a former team-mate. The public spat was over comments made by Hartley during the T20 World Cup in the autumn, questioning the players’ fitness levels, although she did not name any individuals specifically.
Conversations surrounding fitness became a black cloud hanging over the England side throughout the winter. That was compounded when Edwards announced that there were no “minimum fitness standards” in place in the set-up, and that she would put some in place to come in at the start of next summer.
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