Melbourne [Australia], December 23 : The England Cricket Board (ECB) on Monday announced the squad for the highly anticipated Women's Ashes series against Australia.
According to the ICC, all-format captain Heather Knight features prominently among key players, alongside Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sophie Ecclestone, Maia Bouchier, and Lauren Bell, in England's squads for the multi-format series scheduled for January.
Ryana MacDonald-Gay headlines the Test squad for the one-off Test following an impressive debut against South Africa earlier this month.
England Women's head coach Jon Lewis reflected on the inclusion of Ryana MacDonald-Gay in the Test squad, highlighting her resilience and composure. "Ryana's got real steel in her character. She seems really unflappable at times, and she's very logical in how she thinks about a cricket match. She can see a task and go and do it," Lewis said, as quoted by the ICC.
All-rounder Freya Kemp and left-arm spinner Linsey Smith have earned their maiden call-ups for the Women's Ashes as part of the T20I squad. Wicketkeeper-batter Bess Heath also makes her return, included in both the Test and T20I squads after recovering from a thumb injury. Maia Bouchier, who scored a century on her Test debut in South Africa, has been named in all three squads.
The much-anticipated Women's Ashes 2025 will commence with the ODI series on January 11 at North Sydney Oval in Sydney. The second ODI will take place on January 13 at Junction Oval in Melbourne, while Hobart's Bellerive Oval will host the final match of the series on January 16.
The three-match ODI series will be followed by T20Is. England and Australia will face off in the first T20I on January 20 at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground. Canberra's Manuka Oval will host the second match on January 23, with the final game of the series scheduled for January 25 at Adelaide Oval.
Meanwhile, the one-off Test match between England and Australia is set to take place on February 2 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
ODI Squad: Heather Knight (C), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge.
T20I Squad: Heather Knight (C), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp, Linsey Smith, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge.
Test Squad: Heather Knight (C), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge.