Ecclestone to take break from domestic cricket to focus on her well-being

The England cricketer Sophie Ecclestone will take a break from domestic cricket to manage her quad injury and wellbeing. The 26-year-old is the No. 1 ranked ODI bowler in the world and was left out of England’s squad because of the knee injury.

Ecclestone will be available for England's white-ball series against India which begins on June 28 at Trent Bridge. The left-arm spinner was sidelined for two months after her outing in Women’s Premier League for UP Warriorz and missed the beginning of Lancashire's domestic season. She has played two One-Day and six T20s for her county since then, but withdrew herself from the match against Hampshire because of the quad problem.

"Sophie has been managing a quad niggle over the past week but more importantly she wants to take a step back from cricket for a short period to look after herself," said the England coach, Charlotte Edwards.

"We're totally behind that. We want to be able to select Sophie for the India series but the most important thing for her at the moment is that she feels in a better place. We all agree that a break now could be beneficial for her to achieve that,” she added.

Mental health is important: Hartley

England clarified that Ecclestone’s omission from the squad for the ongoing West Indies series is unrelated to the controversy that followed their disappointing Ashes tour of Australia earlier in 2025.

During England’s 16-0 series loss, she declined to participate in a TV interview with former teammate Alex Hartley, who had previously criticized the team’s fitness levels during the T20 World Cup in November.

Despite the issues, England bounced back to defeat the West Indies in both the ODI and T20I series. They now prepare to face India, who will also host the 50-over World Cup later in September.

"Mental health is so important. If she [Ecclestone] feels she needs a refresh and if she's going to miss a series or a bit of domestic cricket, but it means she's fit for the World Cup, ultimately that's what we want,” Hartley told BBC Test Match Special.