Due to their concurrent travel schedules to South Africa, England players will be absent from the next Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) final leg. They faced the same dilemma and had to choose between club and country in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) of 2024. The requirements were discussed with the players before to the WBBL Draft by England and Wales Cricket (ECB), in an attempt to prevent a repeat of the previous incident.
Players who are selected for the T20I series are required to go to South Africa on November 17, while cricket players selected for the ODI team are required to report on November 27. These are the regulations.
In the meanwhile, the next WBBL season will start on October 27 and go through December 1.
“We expect players picked in the ODI team to arrive in South Africa on November 27, and if they are selected for the T20 squad, they should arrive on November 17. Jonathan Finch, Director of England Women’s Cricket, said that everyone’s availability when they entered the draft reflected that.
Seven cricket players from England will compete in the 2019 WBBL. Heather Knight was signed by Sydney Thunder for the upcoming season, Danni Wyatt-Hodge joined Hobart Hurricanes, while Sophie Ecclestone remained with Sydney Sixers. These three cricket players are each worth £56,000, subject to availability, as they were all platinum picks.
On the other side, Melbourne Renegades signed colourful Alice Capsey, and Amy Jones will rejoin the Perth Scorchers. They both signed a £46,000 contract because they were considered gold choices. Finally, Hollie Armitage and Georgia Adams, each on a £20,000 contract, signed with the Thunder and Sydney Sixers, respectively.
Also Read: WBBL 2024 Draft: Deepti Sharma signs with Melbourne Stars, Jemimah Rodrigues joins Brisbane Heat
It’s interesting to note that England cricketers had previously missed a WBBL final leg. Bess Heath and Danielle Gibson were not able to attend the championship game last year because England had to set up a camp in Mumbai prior to the India series.