Alice Capsey named in England T20 World Cup squad after collarbone injury

Kate Cross is the only other addition to the group that swept aside West Indies in December, with Issy Wong forced to settle for a place as a travelling reserve alongside the uncapped Dani Gibson

England will give Alice Capsey every chance of being fit for the women's T20 World Cup after including the teenager in their squad just a month after breaking her collarbone.

Capsey, 18, flew home after suffering the injury during the first ODI against West Indies in Antigua, though head coach Jon Lewis has remained optimistic regarding her fitness.

Since debuting last July, Capsey has become a key component of England's white-ball team and Lewis is hoping she is fit to play a full part in next month's tournament in South Africa.

ENGLAND T20 WORLD CUP SQUAD

Heather Knight, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Katherine Brunt, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danni Wyatt

Travelling Reserves: Issy Wong, Dani Gibson

"We hope Alice is fit enough, she's worked incredibly hard alongside the medical staff to get to this point and we'll give her every chance, but as we saw in the Caribbean the depth of talent and skill in the squad is growing fast, and winning tournaments is about everyone collectively embracing the moment and enjoying the journey," said the head coach, who was appointed last November.

Ultimately, it is a group containing few surprises. Kate Cross is the only addition from the T20 whitewash of the Windies after she only featured in the ODIs. Freya Kemp missed the Caribbean tour completely after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in her lower back.

Seamer Issy Wong is forced to settle for a place as a travelling reserve, alongside Dani Gibson of London Spirit and Western Storm, and will join the group for an initial period.

^{England are bidding to claim a first women's T20 World Cup since 2009 (Randy Brooks)}

Drawn in Group B for the 10-team tournament, England kick off their campaign on February 11 against West Indies, before facing Ireland, India and Pakistan.

They'll play three warm-up matches against New Zealand before the official ICC tune-up games.

"It's always exciting to name a World Cup squad, and there's a great deal of talent in this group," added Lewis. "We saw a lot of good things in the West Indies, a lot of progress around shifting our mindset as a team, and I’m excited to see how we take that into the challenge of a global tournament."

Related Topics

• Jon Lewis hails England shift after West Indies clean sweep
• Freya Kemp ruled out of West Indies T20Is with back pain

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