The return of Ecclestone, the world’s number one bowler in ODIs and ranked fourth in T20s, has dominated the build-up to the series as she returns to the England fold for the first time since the Ashes.
The left-arm spinner made headlines for her off-field behaviour in Australia when she refused a TV interview with former team-mate turned pundit Alex Hartley, who had criticised the team’s fitness after the T20 World Cup.
She was then left out of Edwards’ first squads for the West Indies series, having missed the start of Lancashire’s season with a knee injury. England insisted her absence was due to a lack of game time and to recover from the niggle, though Ecclestone played for her county on the same day the squad was announced.
It was confirmed at the beginning of this month that Ecclestone would take a break from county cricket to “prioritise her wellbeing” and to manage a quad problem, before Edwards named her in the squad to face India.
“This is the best preparation for Sophie, to be ready for India,” Edwards said after the final ODI against West Indies, when asked about her previous statements that she wanted to pick players based on form in domestic cricket.
“She has been playing, she has performed really well, including winning the T20 Cup with Lancashire, so I’m happy with how she is tracking.”
Despite a difficult period for England, Ecclestone’s numbers have never dropped – in 2024 she took 24 wickets in T20s, averaging 14.87 with an economy rate of just 5.59, and 13 scalps in ODIs at a remarkable average of 7.23.
But with fellow left-armer Smith impressing against West Indies, including a five-for on ODI debut – alongside Edwards’ insistence that nobody’s place in the side is guaranteed – it is unlikely Ecclestone has ever been under pressure like this before.
