The England Cricket Board has told their players that staying in India to play in the Women’s Premier League will put them out of consideration for the first three T20Is if they stay in India until the end of the tournament.
England Women Cricketers in Dilemma
England Women’s are in confusion as they are set to make one choice between club and country, as the final stages of the WPL coincide with the dates of the Bilateral series between England and New Zealand.
BCCI has confirmed that the WPL 2024 finals are scheduled to be played in the evening of March 17 in New Delhi, with the first of five women’s T20Is due to be played in the afternoon on March 19.
On this occasion, the ECB has told players involved in the WPL who stay in India until the end of the tournament, will not be considered for the selection for the first three T20Is against New Zealand.
The WPL salaries range from INR 30 Lakhs to INR 3.2 crore. The decisions are complicated further by the increase in the England Women’s match fees which were equalized with the Men’s salaries.
However, Knight has made herself available for the entirety of the New Zealand tour. The English cricketer Lauren Bell has withdrawn from Women’s Premier League 2024 on Friday.
The ECB said that “she has withdrawn… to prioritize preparing optimally” for the New Zealand tour. As per WPL’s regulations, Bell’s withdrawal made the franchise name Chamari Athapaththu as replacement.
ECB took a hard line with players when a similar clash happened in December. Heath and Gibson missed the WBBL finals in Australia to play in the England T20I series against India in Mumbai.
On the other hand, New Zealand cricket has allowed Amelia Kerr to miss a T20I against Pakistan to feature in the WBBL final. Kerr is one of two New Zealand players involved in this year’s WPL along with Sophie Devine.
New Zealand Women and England Women will play their first T20I on March 19 at University Oval.
