England Women Move Training Camp to Pretoria After UAE Cancellation Ahead of T20 World Cup

After plans to tour Abu Dhabi were abruptly rescheduled due to the current crisis in the region, a party of thirty England women's players will fly to South Africa to start arguing for selection ahead of a home T20 World Cup later this year. Between March 10 and 27, the players will compete in a five-match intra-squad series in Pretoria, divided into two teams of fifteen players each. In remembrance of previous England greats Jan Brittin and Rachael Heyhoe-Flint, who both won a World Cup trophy at home, the sides will be called Team Brittin and Team Heyhoe-Flint.

The stakes are high as the English women's cricket team gets ready for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup when they play each other in an intra-squad series in Pretoria this March. Wales and England will host the T20 World Cup in June and July. England will want to choose the best players in order to take full advantage of the home environment. Due to geopolitical issues in the Middle East, the intra-squad series that was initially scheduled for Abu Dhabi has been moved to South Africa.

New England Women Move Training Camp Revealed:

Former Durham batter and England Women's assistant coach Jon Lewis will coach Team Brittin, which will be captained by England skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt. Charlie Dean, the vice captain, will lead Team Heyhoe-Flint, which will be led by Luke Williams, another assistant coach. Charlotte Edwards, the head coach of the England Women's team, has challenged the players to press their claims for a spot in the T20 World Cup squad. Edwards will oversee both teams during the series.

ESPNcricinfo quotes Edwards saying, "This is a big opportunity for every player involved to put their hand up and demonstrate that they're an invaluable part of our World Cup plans. It's the same chance for every player, whether they're new to the team or they've played 100 games. We want to use this series as a chance to stretch ourselves and put ourselves under pressure in competitive match situations."

Before the T20 World Cup, which takes place from June 12 to July 5, England will host a white-ball series against New Zealand and India. The first women's Test match at Lord's will then take place between them and India.

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