In the space of just three weeks, the England women’s team will play three ODIs, three T20s and a four-day Test in Australia. The reason for the ‘rammed’ schedule, according to England coach Jon Lewis, is the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in India.
The women’s Ashes begins on January 12 in Sydney and will be played across five Australian cities. The WPL begins on February 21, forcing the authorities to compress England’s tour to Australia.
Lewis was miffed with the cramped schedule, especially with a four-day gap between the third T20 and the four-day pink-ball Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
“My preference would be that there’s more space between the games, and the players’ preference would be as well,” Lewis was quoted as saying by The Guardian. “I’m pretty sure we would have requested more space between the white ball [games] and the Test match, but the schedule came back as it was. It won’t be straightforward. The schedule is pretty rammed close together. There’s no flexibility because of WPL and Christmas.”
The report added that while the WPL begins on February 21, the players would be needed in India earlier for acclimatisation and media commitments. Six England players who are a part of the Ashes squad will also be competing in the five-team WPL. They include Alice Capsey, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone and Dani Gibson.
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