Jon Lewis has opened the door for in-form Tammy Beaumont to force her way into England’s Twenty20 team before next year’s World Cup in Bangladesh.
Beaumont blitzed the first century in the women’s edition of the Hundred on Monday, smashing 118 off 61 balls for Welsh Fire, but she was only included in England’s ODI squad for the upcoming series with Sri Lanka on Friday.
England left Beaumont out of the T20 squad for the series with Sri Lanka, which begins on August 31, despite resting opener Sophia Dunkley.
Sophie Ecclestone will also sit out both series, while Danni Wyatt is only part of the T20 group and Nat Sciver-Brunt will only be involved in the ODIs but Lewis has preferred to give Maia Bouchier an opportunity in Dunkley’s absence.
He explained: “Obviously Tammy is playing fantastically well and I am really pleased with how she is playing.
“We had to make a choice around who would open the batting with Danni Wyatt.
“Maia Bouchier has been our travelling reserve for that whole time, so my view on that was Maia deserves that opportunity.
“I suppose on Tammy, and I said this to her, we have a year now until we pick a World Cup XV and I want her to keep doing what she is doing.
“The door is definitely not shut on her to play T20 cricket for England.
“I know she is desperate to play and how hard she is working, but I just want to try to develop the rest of the team to give us as many options as we can to put pressure on everyone who would be normally selected in the XI.
“I think Tammy is OK with the decision; I don’t think she is particularly happy but she understands if she continues to push her case, then she may well get the opportunity down the line but Sophia and Danni have done a fantastic job for us.
“I know what Tammy will do against Sri Lanka and I don’t know what Maia will do, so I am really interested to see how she goes because we’ve been carrying her around the world.”
England’s decision to manage the workload of Dunkley, Wyatt, Sciver-Brunt and Ecclestone has resulted in maiden call-ups for Mahika Gaur and Bess Heath.
Fast bowler Gaur has committed her international future to England after being selected in both white-ball squads.
The 17-year-old has represented United Arab Emirates in 19 IT20s but is set to make her debut for England after a fine summer where she helped North West Thunder make the Charlotte Edwards Cup Finals Day.
Heath hit 41 for England A against Australia A earlier this summer and is selected in both groups following a consistent run of form.
“I wouldn’t call it experimental. I would say it is exciting, young and fresh,” Lewis insisted.
“We have a year now until the World Cup and I am trying to work out which players we need to take to Bangladesh and it will be interesting to see how these young players do.
“Obviously Mahika is an exciting young talent. Six foot tall, left-arm swing bowler, that is very, very rare in the women’s game and unique.
“We have looked at all our options with the new ball around the country and we like what she offers.
“Will she play all the games? Probably not but we’d like to see what she can do and she is very much one for the future.
“Getting her playing cricket for England sooner rather than later is something we want to do to show her we like what she does and can help her develop.”