Alice Capsey’s disappointing performance at the T20 World Cup has cost her a place in England’s T20I squad for their upcoming tour of South Africa. The 18-year-old, who made her England debut in 2022, has been in poor form, scoring just 19 runs in three innings at the World Cup and 27 runs in five innings for the Melbourne Renegades in the Women’s Big Bash League.
Capsey’s omission is a blow to England, who are looking to rebuild after their disappointing World Cup campaign. The team has been criticized for its fitness levels and its ability to handle pressure, and Capsey’s absence will only add to the pressure on the remaining players.
Paige Scholfield, who made her England debut in September, has been called up to the T20I squad, along with fast bowler Lauren Filer. Dani Gibson misses out after undergoing knee surgery.
The tour will include a first Women’s Test in South Africa since 2002, for which Freya Kemp and Maia Bouchier could be the notable debutants. Heather Knight retains her role as captain across formats.
The tour is seen as a vital opportunity for England to reset their ambitions against a team that has now reached each of the last two T20 World Cup finals. The selected players have been training at Loughborough in the build-up to the series, with the T20I squad due to leave for South Africa on November 16, with the ODI and Test squads following on November 27.
England Women’s head coach Jon Lewis has hit back at criticism of the team’s fitness levels, saying that the players are “in really good shape.” He added that he would like to see more specific criticism from those who have questioned the team’s fitness.
The South Africa tour is seen as a vital staging post for England ahead of their next key objective, the Women’s Ashes in Australia in January. Clare Connor, the ECB deputy chair and former women’s captain, said that the tour is “a really good next experience” and “another preparation tour” for the Ashes.
Connor also addressed the heightened scrutiny that the players had been under in the wake of the World Cup, and the sense that they had collapsed under the pressure. She said that the team will be looking at how to build in resilience to pressure and improve decision-making and skill retention under pressure.
