England head coach Jon Lewis has taken a decisive step in reshaping the national women’s cricket team, as he eyes a “reset” to address recent challenges.
Alice Capsey, one of England’s brightest young cricket talents, faces a challenging moment in her career. After a difficult stint at the recent T20 World Cup, where she struggled with only 29 runs across three innings, Capsey has now been left out of England’s T20I and Test squads for the upcoming South Africa tour.
Lewis is clear about his hopes for Capsey, describing her omission as a necessary “line in the sand” for her development. Lewis believes this reset will allow the 20-year-old to address certain areas in her game, helping her return with renewed vigor and consistency. “There is no doubt in my mind that over time she will play lots and lots of games for England in all formats of the game,” he stated. “But at the moment she is just trending in the wrong direction, and we need to have a little reset, to be honest.”
This year started on a positive note for Capsey as she tallied 182 runs in her first seven innings. However, she has recently faced a slump, managing just 63 runs over her last five outings. Lewis highlighted this downturn as a key factor in her exclusion, explaining the need for “more consistency” and backing the Surrey batter to ultimately succeed in reaching that goal.
Lewis elaborated on his discussions with Capsey, indicating that he and his team provided her with specific guidance on improving her approach. He shared, “We have talked at length with Alice. We have given her some really clear guidance on where we’d like her to improve and how we’d like her to play.” He pointed out that, especially in her crucial number three position, England wants Capsey to continue impacting the game with her aggressive style while also adding a layer of consistency.
“So probably just in terms of Alice in particular,” he continued, “just a good time for her to have a little think, a little reset and come back stronger.”
England’s early exit from the Women’s T20 World Cup has prompted considerable analysis and debate over the team’s readiness and strategy. For the first time since 2010, England did not make it past the group stages, drawing criticism from fans and experts alike. Alex Hartley, the former English spinner, questioned the fitness levels within the squad, raising concerns that some players might not be meeting top-level standards.
In response, Lewis was resolute in defending his team’s conditioning. “I 100 per cent don’t agree with that as a statement,” he countered. “We are trending really in the right direction around our physical fitness. We have made a lot of progress across the board in different parts of fitness – power, speed, endurance.”
Lewis also highlighted England’s impressive 95% player availability over the last six months, underscoring that players are making strides in physical conditioning. Open to dialogue with Hartley, he added, “I’m more than happy to talk to Alex about that, I’ve said that before.”
Reflecting on England’s performance, Lewis pointed to execution issues, particularly during their World Cup exit against the West Indies. “We obviously dropped five catches and that’s another execution thing that we’ll look at,” he said. Lewis also pointed out that missed bowling opportunities during the first eight or nine overs played a role in England’s early downfall, indicating that improvements in this area are essential for future success.
Lewis dismissed claims that England lacked a “Plan B” when captain Heather Knight went down with an injury in the final game, arguing instead that losing Knight’s “assuredness of leadership” was a key factor. “Nat Sciver-Brunt is a very different leader to Heather Knight,” he said. “To lose our captain through injury at that point of the game… that assuredness of leadership in that crunch game in particular is a real big blow.”
Still, Lewis expressed full confidence in Sciver-Brunt’s leadership, affirming her as a capable vice-captain alongside Knight.
As England prepares to tour South Africa in a multi-format series featuring one Test, three ODIs, and three T20Is from November 24 to December 18, the team will seek redemption and growth. This series could be an opportunity for the squad to rebuild and regain confidence.
(Quotes sourced from Sky Sports)
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