England recall Sophia Dunkley for New Zealand ODIs

The return of Dunkley, who was omitted from the white-ball squads to face Pakistan earlier this summer, is the only change to a squad that is building up to next autumn's World Cup in India

Nick Friend | 14/06/2024 at 14:30

Sophia Dunkley has been recalled to England Women's ODI squad for the three-match series against New Zealand.

The return of Dunkley, who was omitted from the white-ball squads to face Pakistan earlier this summer, is the only change to a squad that is building up to next autumn's World Cup in India.

Despite being left out by Jon Lewis after a dire run of form in international cricket over the last year, Dunkley was actually back with the 50-over squad by the end of the Pakistan series, brought in as cover for the second and third ODIs at Taunton and Chelmsford.

"We welcomed Sophia Dunkley back into the squad at the end of the Pakistan series as her performance across the domestic game has been outstanding and she earned the right to be back in this squad through performance," said Lewis.

Dunkley made scores of 67 and 130 in her first two games back at South East Stars after her original omission.

Almost an ever-present for England over the last couple of years, though, Dunkley confessed while speaking to the Under the Lid podcast, which is produced in partnership by the Professional Cricketers' Association and The Cricketer, last month that her omission had still come as a major disappointment.

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^{Sophia Dunkley has been recalled by England on the back of her regional form (Ben Hoskins/Getty Images)}

"It is a pretty gutting thing to hear, it hurts a lot," she said. "But I think ultimately I haven't put in the performances in international cricket that I've needed to in the last nine months. So, I think right now it is a good opportunity for me to play domestic cricket and work on things to come back stronger."

She added: "I've spent a lot of the last six months changing a lot of my batting technique, changing a lot of my mental approach to cricket. I'm still tweaking things today in the nets.

"I guess on reflection I kind of underestimated how hard that might be in international cricket, because the last six months I've played in the Big Bash, which is quite a big competition, and international cricket, so it is pretty hard to be working on things while having the pressure of playing for England at the same time.

"So, while it is pretty gutting and it still hurts now, in the long run hopefully it is going to be for the best and will give me some time to play and hopefully come out the other side."

England face New Zealand at Durham, Worcester and Bristol between June 26 and July 3, ahead of a five-match T20I series between the two nations, with the T20 World Cup to come in Bangladesh this winter.

England Women ODI squad: Heather Knight, 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

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