The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed a full-strength England squad for the 9th edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup. The 10-team ICC event will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from October 3rd to 20th, 2024.
Led by Heather Knight, the squad features keeper-batter Bess Heath and all-rounder Freya Kemp, both set for their first World Cup appearance. Danielle Gibson, who most recently shone in The Hundred Final and was a traveling reserve during the 2023 T20 World Cup in South Africa, has also been named in the squad of 15.
The inaugural T20 World Cup champions, England, lost to hosts South Africa in the semi-final of the 2023 T20 World Cup. Since then, they have won 17 of their last 22 T20Is. After the semi-final defeat, England secured a 2-1 series win over Australia on home soil, followed by a 1-2 loss to Sri Lanka last summer. They then won 2-1 against India and 4-1 against New Zealand in away series during the winter.
This summer, England has remained unbeaten across formats, securing 3-0 and 5-0 whitewashes against Pakistan and New Zealand, respectively, at home. The team has embraced an exciting and entertaining brand of cricket, with young talents such as Alice Capsey, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Freya Kemp, Charlie Dean, and Danielle Gibson at the forefront. They are supported by the experience of Heather Knight, Danni Wyatt, Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Sophie Ecclestone, among others.
England’s squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup:
Heather Knight (C), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Linsey Smith, Danni Wyatt
Despite an inconsistent run of late, the selection of Freya Kemp signals positive momentum. The 19-year-old all-rounder has impressed in her 15 T20Is, taking 16 wickets at an economy rate of 7.79 and scoring 124 runs at a strike rate of 130.52 from 12 innings. With England naming only two frontline pacers, Lauren Bell and Danielle Gibson, Kemp provides valuable depth. Should Nat Sciver-Brunt be unavailable to bowl, Kemp is a strong backup option.
In the spin department, the retention of the seasoned Linsey Smith alongside regulars Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, and Sarah Glenn strengthens England’s attack, particularly for the subcontinent conditions. Linsey Smith, who rejoined the national team this summer after last playing in 2019, has taken 15 wickets in 13 T20Is. She has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket and is expected to bring that success to the international stage.
With a blend of experienced batters in Danni Wyatt, Heather Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Amy Jones, alongside emerging talents such as Alice Capsey, Maia Bouchier, Sophia Dunkley, and Bess Heath, England’s strength is its formidable batting line-up. This contrasts with a relatively young bowling attack, especially in pace.
It has been confirmed that the squad, along with pacer Lauren Filer, will travel to Abu Dhabi for a training camp from September 13th to 24th, ahead of the official ICC warm-up games. In Group B, England will compete alongside Bangladesh, South Africa, Scotland, and the West Indies, starting against Bangladesh on October 5th.
