Kemp, Heath in England's T20 World Cup squad but Filer misses out

England have named Freya Kemp and Bess Heath in their 15-player squad for the Women's T20 World Cup 2024. Danielle Gibson is also selected for her first World Cup, to be played in the UAE in October, but there was no room was fast bowler Lauren Filer.

Allrounder Kemp and back-up wicketkeeper Heath will also take part in next month's white-ball trip to Ireland, where Kate Cross will captain a team otherwise missing England's World Cup players. The three ODIs and two T20Is could see a number of debutants, with seven uncapped players across both squads.

England's planning for the T20 World Cup has been meticulous over the last 18 months and the group selected contained few surprises, bar the omission of Filer. Sophia Dunkley won a recall during the summer and kept her spot above Tammy Beaumont, who captained Welsh Fire to the final of the Hundred and is selected in both squads to face Ireland.

Linsey Smith, who returned to the T20I side for the first time since 2019 earlier this year, is included as the back-up spinner to the trio of Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean and Sarah Glenn. Meanwhile, the flexibility offered by Kemp, who recently returned to bowling after injury, and Gibson as seam-bowling allrounders means England opted against taking the extra pace of Filer - although she will join the team in their training camp in Abu Dhabi before the tournament.

Mahika Gaur, the teenaged left-arm seamer who was unable to push harder for World Cup selection due to a combination of injury and school commitments, is included in the T20I group to tour Ireland.

The Women's T20 World Cup had been due to be staged in Bangladesh but the ICC took the decision to move the tournament last week after a period of civil unrest in the country.

"Selecting teams and squads with this group of players has become incredibly tricky and tough," England's head coach, Jon Lewis, said. "There are players who have been really unfortunate to miss out and they'll be a big part of what we do with England Cricket in the future.

"I feel the 15 players selected give us a really well balanced squad in terms of experience, youth and most importantly the skills to cope and excel in the conditions we feel we will be faced with in the UAE."

England's captain, Heather Knight, added: "World Cups are always special events to be involved in as a player and I'm really excited by the squad we have selected to take over to the UAE. It's an honour to lead the team into another World Cup. We're looking forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead."

Cross had conceded that she was unlikely to force her way into England's World Cup thinking and will instead captain England for the first time after a career in which she has won 91 caps across formats.

She will be joined in the party for Ireland by Beaumont, Issy Wong and Mady Villiers, who last featured for England in 2021. Georgia Adams, Hannah Baker, Georgia Davis, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Charis Pavely, Paige Scholfield and Seren Smale could all win their first caps.

They will be coached by Jon Lewis - the former Durham batter, rather than the Gloucestershire seamer - who currently looks after the England A team, assisted by Courtney Winfield-Hill and Chris Liddle.

England Women's T20 World Cup squad: Heather Knight (capt), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Linsey Smith, Danni Wyatt

England Women's ODI squad to tour Ireland: Kate Cross (capt), Hollie Armitage, Hannah Baker, Tammy Beaumont, Georgia Davis, Lauren Filer, Bess Heath, Freya Kemp, Emma Lamb, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Paige Scholfield, Bryony Smith, Mady Villiers, Issy Wong

England Women's T20I squad to tour Ireland: Kate Cross (capt), Georgia Adams, Hollie Armitage, Hannah Baker, Tammy Beaumont, Mahika Gaur, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Charis Pavely, Paige Scholfield, Seren Smale, Bryony Smith, Mady Villiers, Issy Wong