Elsewhere, Tammy Beaumont returns to the T20I fold, while Freya Kemp is only involved as a batter with England A and Mahika Gaur is absent to focus on her A-Levels; Linsey Smith and Hollie Armitage are both beneficiaries of the WPL clash
England Women have named two different T20I squads for their tour of New Zealand as they look to be flexible around the clash between the start of the five-match series and the end of the Women's Premier League.
It has proven a delicate matter but, as The Cricketer reported last week, dividing the series into two parts – the first three T20Is, followed by the last two – was seen as a fair and practical way of managing a complex situation.
That has been born out of the WPL's timing for 2024, which sees the final take place in Mumbai just two days before England face New Zealand in the series opener in Dunedin.
The upshot is that it was always unrealistic to expect England's WPL participants – certainly those who might reach the final – to arrive in New Zealand in good time. The second and third matches, on March 22 and March 24, will also fall into the same portion of the series, so England will be without their WPL players until the fourth fixture.
Those are Alice Capsey, Sophie Ecclestone, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Danni Wyatt. Jon Lewis, the head coach, will leave early from the WPL – where he leads UP Warriorz – to join up with England on March 12, a week out from the series. Issy Wong and Kate Cross are remaining at the WPL, but neither have been selected for the T20I leg of the tour. Cross returns for the ODIs, but Wong is absent entirely; part of that decision was to ensure that players weren't coming from the WPL if there was a realistic chance they might not then play.
Heather Knight and Lauren Bell previously withdrew from the WPL so are available throughout.
"The short window of just one or two days between the end of the WPL and the first IT20 in New Zealand has meant we have needed to balance the challenges of long-term workload management for players, allowing participation in the WPL and ensuring we give clarity to the group of players preparing for the first three IT20s," said Jonathan Finch, England Women's director of cricket.
"As a result, we have named two IT20 squads with the WPL players being available for the fourth and fifth matches of the series. All players participating in the WPL were given our backing to remain in India for the duration of the tournament."
England will be without four players for the first three T20Is to WPL commitments (Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)
The gaps in the squad have allowed for a couple of new faces, though. Left-arm spinner Linsey Smith, who has played in the Big Bash and Super Smash this winter, is in line for her first England appearance since 2019, while Northern Diamonds captain Hollie Armitage could make a long-awaited senior international debut. She was on the England A tour of India earlier this winter and has also been involved in the Super Smash.
"I have been really impressed with Hollie across the course of last summer, especially over The Hundred which I think is a really good indicator of how she might play at the next level," said Lewis. "On the England A tour to India in November, I thought she was a standout performer in terms of the role she can play in the England side.
"Linsey has been performing for a long period of time at a high level and gives us a high-quality left-arm spin option. With Sophie Ecclestone unavailable for the first three IT20 matches, Linsey is, in my opinion, the second-best left-arm spinner in the country in T20 format."
He added: "Both selections give us an opportunity to test our depth and develop a wider playing group capable of delivering on the international stage across a very congested and demanding schedule in 2024/25."
Tammy Beaumont also returns, having found herself out of the T20I reckoning since Sophia Dunkley was moved up to open with Wyatt. But Dunkley endured a horribly lean 2023, while Beaumont – who came close to retiring from the game last winter – struck a magnificent century in The Hundred to offer a reminder of her short-format credentials.
Freya Kemp, though, is being managed through the series after the back trouble that ruled her out of bowling for most of 2023. As a result, she will tour only as a batter with England A. She is joined in that group by Tash Farrand and Emma Lamb, both of whom are centrally contracted players on the comeback trail from injuries of their own.
The A team is set to be headed up by former Durham head coach Jon Lewis, namesake of the England head coach. Kirstie Gordon has been named as captain of that squad for their T20 series against New Zealand A; Grace Scrivens will skipper the 50-over games.
Linsey Smith could make her first England appearance since 2019 (Joe Allison/Getty Images)
England T20I squad (first three games): Hollie Armitage, Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Lauren Filer, Dani Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Linsey Smith
England T20I squad (last two games): Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Lauren Filer, Dani Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Alice Capsey, Sophie Ecclestone, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt
England ODI squad: Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Lauren Filer, Dani Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Alice Capsey, Sophie Ecclestone, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt, Kate Cross
England Women A squad: Georgia Adams, Hannah Baker, Alice Davidson-Richards, Tash Farrant, Kirstie Gordon, Freya Kemp, Emma Lamb, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Sophie Munro, Grace Potts, Paige Schofield, Grace Scrivens, Seren Smale, Rhianna Southby, Mady Villiers
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