England have called up 17-year-old Mahika Gaur for the upcoming white-ball series’ against Sri Lanka, but Tammy Beaumont has again been left out of the T20 squad despite a stunning century in The Hundred this week.
Teenage bowler Gaur is one of two uncapped players included in Jon Lewis’s squad for both the three-match T20 and ODI series, along with 21-year-old wicketkeeper Bess Heath, with a number of established names rested.
Gaur, who was born in Reading and then raised in Dubai, has already played international cricket for the United Arab Emirates, but was named in England ‘A’ squads earlier this summer and now receives her first senior call.
“[She] is a very exciting talent,” Lewis said. “Left-arm swing bowlers of over six-foot tall are unique in women’s cricket.
“Bess [Heath] is an all-action cricketer who impacts games and is a great fit for us and how we want to play.”
While the make-up of the group remains similar to that which earned an 8-8 draw in this summer’s Ashes series, England are set to give opportunities to a number of fringe players, with Sophie Ecclestone and Sophia Dunkley rested entirely, and Nat Sciver-Brunt and Danni Wyatt set to play only the ODIs and T20s, respectively.
Lauren Filer, the quick who impressed in the one-off Test against Australia, could make her white-ball debut after being included in both squads, while Freya Kemp is back in the senior fold for the first time since recovering from the stress fracture she suffered last December.
Despite the absence of Dunkley, who opened the batting in the Ashes T20s, though, there is still no place in the shorter format squad for Beaumont.
The 32-year-old was dropped last year as England shifted towards more aggressive batters but stated her case for a recall with a stunning 118 off just 61 balls for Welsh Fire against Trent Rockets on Tuesday, the highest individual score in the men’s or women’s Hundred.
“With a World Cup coming up next year it’s imperative we develop the squad and players can gain international caps and experience,” Lewis added.
The first T20 takes place at Hove on August 30, before the ODI series begins on September 9 at Durham.
