Mahika Gaur and Bess Heath earn maiden call for England women's white-ball series against Sri Lanka
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Friday, August 18, announced the white-ball squads of the women's team for the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka later this month.
Uncapped fast bowler Mahika Gaur and wicketkeeper Bess Heath have been included in the 15-member squads for both T20Is and ODIs to be led by Heather Knight.
Gaur has been impressive throughout the English summer. She picked six wickets in five matches at 29.16 for Thunder in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2023.
The left-arm quick also played for England A women against Australia A women in a couple of T20 matches, though turned wicketless. Playing in the ongoing Women's Hundred for Manchester Originals, Gaur has snapped two wickets at an economy rate of 6.77.
She also played 19 T20 Internationals for UAE from 2019 to 2022, accounting for nine scalps at an economy rate of 5.15.
Heath, on the other hand, was part of Northern Diamonds' title-winning campaign in the 2022 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. The wicketkeeper scored 44 off 60 balls in the final against Southern Vipers to push the team total to 215/9. She added 249 runs at 41 in the 2023 edition of the List A tournament.
Justifying the addition of the two uncapped players for the white-ball home series against Chamari Athapaththu & team, England women's head coach Jon Lewis stated:
"Mahika [Gaur] is a very exciting talent. Left-arm swing bowlers of over six-foot tall are unique in women's cricket. Mahika has shown consistently this summer that she is a threat with the new ball and we are excited to see how she performs at international level."
Lewis added:
"Bess [Heath] is an all-action cricketer who impacts games and is a great fit for us and how we want to play. She impressed in the A team games against Australia earlier in the summer and she also provides cover for Amy Jones with the gloves."
England batter Tammy Beaumont ignored for T20Is
Tammy Beaumont, who notched a double-ton in the lone Women's Ashes Test, continues to be sidelined from the T20I setup. Even an incredible 118 off 61 balls for Welsh Fire against Trent Rockets in the Hundred didn't convince the selectors to consider the 32-year-old for the shortest format.
Lauren Filer, who made her Test debut in the Women's Ashes in June, received her maiden call for T20Is. Meanwhile, the likes of Sophie Ecclestone and Sophia Dunkley have been rested for the complete white-ball series against Sri Lanka.
Nat Sciver-Brunt will miss the T20I series and Danielle Wyatt is due to miss the ODI leg with both players aiming to manage their respective workloads.
The three-match T20I series will commence on August 31 in Hove and will end on September 6 in Derby. Both teams will follow with three One-Day Internationals between September 9 and 14.
England Women's T20I squad vs Sri Lanka: Heather Knight (c), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Lauren Filer, Mahika Gaur, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp, Issy Wong, Dannielle Wyatt
England Women's ODI squad vs Sri Lanka: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Lauren Filer, Mahika Gaur, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Emma Lamb, Nat Sciver-Brunt