Lauren Hemp has been ruled out of England's upcoming friendlies after Manchester City confirmed the forward had surgery on a knee injury.

Hemp has missed City's last two matches, including their 2-0 defeat to Chelsea in the Women's Super League on Saturday.

Sarina Wiegman confirmed the surgery was not related to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, and the club have also not confirmed how long she will be out.

The 24-year-old recently became the youngest player in WSL history to reach 50 goals and also leads the way for assists (five) and chances created (26) in the competition this season.

Overall this term, she has scored two goals and registered seven assists in all competitions, including setting up three goals in City's 4-0 win over Tottenham, her last appearance.

Manchester United's Ella Toone is also unavailable to Wiegman this international break due to a calf injury.

Her absence in their victory over Leicester City on Sunday ended a run of 96 consecutive league starts.

Niamh Charles, Lauren James and Lucy Parker are also out through injury, with the Chelsea pair having failed to recover from problems that kept them out of the previous international break.

It means there are first international call-ups for Laura Blindkilde Brown and Ruby Mace, while Gabby George is named for the first time since November 2022.

England take on the United States at Wembley on November 30 in the first of their two friendlies, before facing Switzerland three days later.

England squad in full:

Mary Earps (Paris Saint-Germain), Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Anna Moorhouse (Orlando Pride), Mille Bright (Chelsea), Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), Jess Carter (Gotham), Gabby George (Manchester United), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Maya le Tissier (Manchester United), Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit), Millie Turner (Manchester United), Leah Williamson (Arsenal), Laura Blindkilde Brown (Manchester City), Grace Clinton (Manchester United), Fran Kirby (Brighton), Jess Park (Manchester City), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Keira Walsh (Barcelona), Ruby Mace (Leicester City), Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea), Chloe Kelly (Manchester City), Beth Mead (Arsenal), Jess Naz (Tottenham), Alessia Russo (Arsenal)

England will face a re-run of the Women's 2023 World Cup final after being drawn in the same group as Spain in the 2025 Women's Nations League. 

Sarina Wiegman's side will face the world and Nations League champions for the first time since the August 2023 World Cup final, where they lost 1-0 in Australia. 

The Lionesses are joined in Group A3 by Belgium, who stunned England in the previous edition of the tournament with a 3-2 win in Leuven last October, and Portugal.

During the October international break, England were beaten 4-3 by Germany, but responded with a 2-1 triumph over South Africa. 

They face Emma Hayes' United States at Wembley in an international friendly at the end of this month before taking on Switzerland in December before the tournament starts. 

“It’s an exciting draw. We have Spain – a top, world-class team – which I think is exciting because it’s another opportunity to play at that level," Wiegman said. 

“It’s really good that we play Belgium because in the last Nations League we lost when we played them away, and we really underperformed.

"We can prove to ourselves now that we can do much better than that in the two games. I’m happy with that one, they’re tough.

“Portugal are a very talented team. We played them before we went to the World Cup, and we drew with them.

"We had a lot of the ball, but we couldn’t score, and they were very dangerous on the counter-attack. They have a lot of technical players.

“There are different opponents, and I’m really looking forward to it because we’ll be challenged in different areas of the game. And of course we’ll give them challenges too.”

Sarina Wiegman conceded England were "a little too sloppy" during their narrow 2-1 win over South Africa.

The Lionesses got back to winning ways following their 4-3 defeat by Germany last time out, with first-half goals from Leah Williamson and Grace Clinton putting them in control at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

However, South Africa halved the deficit 10 minutes into the second half, as Thembi Kgatlana pounced on Williamson's error before racing away and slotting past Mary Earps.

England subsequently endured a nervy finish to see out the victory, and Wiegman knows her players must improve. 

"I thought after the first half, it would be more straightforward," she told ITV. "We played well in the first half, we had some stronger moments. We were a little too sloppy, but we created some chances from corners. We scored a very good goal.

"Second half, we got there, but we were a little sloppy. They were smart on the counter-attack, and it was hard for us.

"We need to keep trying, keep playing football, keep playing forwards. At the moment in transition, they really jumped on us. [We must] talk about it and move forward."

Clinton grabbed her second goal in just four caps when she nodded in Maya Le Tissier's cross, and the Manchester United midfielder hopes she did her chances of featuring more frequently no harm.

"It was a tough game, South Africa are a great team," she added. "We expected them to be tough, and we dealt with their individual qualities.

"It is a good night for me. I'm nice and confident, and I'm happy to be there. Everyone wants to play for England, for their country. I want to stay confident and keep getting goals."

Georgia Stanway said it is “inevitable” that England will plateau after their huge success and that they need to reinvent themselves moving forward.

After a 30-game unbeaten run under Sarina Wiegman at the beginning of her tenure, the Lionesses suffered their first defeat in April last year.

The Lionesses were crowned Euro 2022 champions and reached the Women's World Cup final in Australia.

However, results have been hit-and-miss, including a disappointing Nations League campaign that saw Team GB miss out on qualification for the Paris Olympics. 

England's 4-3 defeat to Germany, the visitors' first game under new manager Christian Wuck, was another reminder of the progress other teams on the continent are making.

Stanway, who scored twice at Wembley last week, said maintaining such a high level of consistency was almost impossible, but said her team must remain difficult to beat. 

"When the expectation is continuous we are probably not able to live up to it. I think it's inevitable that at some point you are going to plateau," said Stanway.

"We have been with Sarina [Wiegman] for four years now so we will get to a point where we can't continuously win because teams will figure us out.

"That's where we have to work together to reinvent ourselves - change a little bit of tactics, bits here and there, and get the one up on the opposition again.

"As much as teams are evolving, we also have to evolve."

England are back in action when they face South Africa in a friendly on Tuesday, their first meeting on home soil. 

The Lionesses have won 19 of their last 21 games when hosting an opponent for the very first time (D1 L1), scoring 96 goals and conceding just four times across those matches.

But the game offers the possibility of going three games without a win under Wiegman for a second time, with Stanway and her team-mates aiming to put things right. 

"Facing adversities is normal. The Germany game was interesting. We couldn't get control but it was an opportunity to keep growing," she added.

"Outside media think us having a good game is the result. We need to become performance-driven.

"Playing for England is another level. We drive the standards, need consistency in emotion and set an example. People forget we lost a lot of big characters.

"Myself, [Ella] Toone and Alessia [Russo] were born in 1999. We're not experienced leaders yet but I'm only 25. I’m also trying to learn every day."

Sarina Wiegman believes England's 4-3 defeat to Germany was exactly the preparations needed in order to defend their European Championship crown next year.

In a repeat of their 2022 Euros final, Germany exacted their revenge at Wembley, helped by an impressive first 30 minutes. 

The visitors were awarded a penalty when Millie Bright tangled with Linda Dallmann, with Giulia Gwinn firing home before notching her second seven minutes later. 

Klara Buhl added Germany's third in the 29th minute, but the Lionesses responded with a penalty of their own when Gwinn was penalised for handling the ball in the area. 

Georgia Stanway tucked away the spot-kick and grabbed her second soon after, flashing the ball into the top corner from close range after being picked out by Beth Mead.

But after the break, Germany were awarded another penalty when Alessia Russo was penalised for fouling Pia-Sophie Wolter, with Sara Dabritz scoring from 12 yards.

However, Lucy Bronze handed England a lifeline 10 minutes from time after pouncing on an error by visiting goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, but Germany held on for the win. 

"That is why we play those games. Top level games where you get challenged and if you don't get the things right then you get exploited," Wiegman said.

"That is what we want; to see where we are at, get as much information as possible and get players minutes to build connections.

"That is what we want to build preparations for the Euros."

But there were concerns about England's defence at Wembley, with several errors allowing Germany to capitalise at Wembley. 

Captain Leah Williamson's misplaced pass ended up in Bright bringing down Dallmann, before Jess Carter failed to track Gwinn as she raced through unmarked to fire a second past Hannah Hampton. 

Hampton was then beaten at her near post by Buhl's strike, with the Lionesses giving Wiegman plenty of food for thought at full-time. 

"Losing the ball at moments that we should not lose the ball. Germany challenged us but if we had taken out more of those unforced errors then they can't counter attack," Wiegman said.

"There were moments that they challenged us tactically - we wanted to press higher but we needed to find out the triggers.

"When do we stay compact and wait, versus when do we go?"

Leah Williamson admitted she is happy to be back with the national team having endured a "different" start to the season with Arsenal.

The Gunners have made a poor start to 2024-25, and are currently without a full-time manager after Jonas Eidevall left his position last week.

He left Arsenal when they were sixth in the Women's Super League table, having won just one of their first four matches in the competition.

In his final week, they were beaten 5-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League before suffering a 2-1 loss to reigning champions Chelsea in the league.

Interim boss Renee Slegers has since won both of her games in charge to somewhat steady the ship, and it is rumoured that New York City FC's head coach Nick Cushing is currently the favourite to take the full-time job.

For now, Williamson is enjoying the change of environment.

"It's been a different start to the season. We've obviously been at our clubs for a long time," Williamson said.

"Normally we'd have an international window before this. So, it's been different in that sense of being there for so long and being in one place. We're not used to that.

"I think results tell a story, but I think the work that I've seen going on, especially from my club, I can only speak for that, I think you can see again that the level of the whole world of football has gone up, and everyone’s enjoying that challenge, and things change every year.

"But this is a Euros year now and everyone will have a plan for the weekend and a plan for the next year. You'll see that sort of iron out over the next couple of months.

"Our job is to win games and that hasn't happened so smoothly. Like I said, results tell a story.

"Performance is another thing that you can actually change and affect on a day-to-day basis. And to be honest, I'm happy to be here in a different environment.

"I think sometimes that comes at the right time and, since I've been here, I've had no contact with the club."

England face Germany in the first of two international friendlies, a replay of the Euro 2022 final, at Wembley on Friday, before facing South Africa on Tuesday. 

Alessia Russo has been named England's Women's Player of the Year for 2023-24.

The Arsenal forward played a key role for the Lionesses during their Euro 2025 qualifying campaign to help them book a spot in the tournament.

She scored three goals in six starts, a team-high, and had the joint-most shots on target with Beth Mead (five), having 14 attempts overall.

Overall, she played 11 times in the 2023-24 season, with her six-goal haul also earning her the team's top goalscorer award.

Russo is the fourth Arsenal player to win the award in the past decade, following in Mead's footsteps after she won it in 2021-22. 

The 25-year-old was voted the stand-out player for England, ahead of Lauren James and Lucy Bronze, who finished second and third respectively.

England face Germany at Wembley in their next game on Friday, in their first meeting since the Lionesses beat them in the Euro 2022 final.

England confirmed that Lauren James has withdrawn from the squad for their upcoming friendlies against Germany and South Africa.

James was named in Chelsea's starting line-up for their Women's Champions League win over FC Twente, but was replaced by Johanna Rytting Kaneryd after the warm-up after sustaining a calf injury.

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor revealed ahead of the Blues' 5-2 victory over Tottenham that the 23-year-old is expected to be out of action for the next five to six weeks. 

It serves as a bitter blow to both Chelsea and England, with James having been in fine form since the beginning of last season. 

Since the start of the 2023-24 campaign, only Manchester City duo Khadija Shaw (28) and Lauren Hemp (27) have registered more Women's Super League goal involvements than James (17 - level with Alessia Russo). 

James' influence on games goes beyond goals and assists in the WSL, with her 36 completed dribbles since the start of last season a total only bettered by Rytting Kaneryd (37) among her team-mates.

However, England manager Sarina Wiegman does not plan on calling up a replacement for James, with the Lionesses boasting several replacements already in their ranks. 

Qiana Joseph and Hayley Matthews guided the West Indies into the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 with an emphatic six-wicket victory over England.

Both openers hit rapid half-centuries, with Joseph finishing on 52 and Matthews on 50, as the 2016 champions easily reached their target of 142 with two overs to spare and knocked England out in the process.

Nat Sciver-Brunt hit an unbeaten 57 to help set the West Indies 141 to win, but it was not enough in the face of a dazzling batting performance from Matthews and Joseph.

The West Indies progress from Group B alongside South Africa courtesy of both sides boasting superior net run rates than England, with all three teams finishing on six points.

With the win, West Indies topped the group and will play New Zealand on Friday while Australia take on South Africa in the first semifinal on Thursday.

England felt their way into the innings, but openers Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt-Hodge soon found an early groove, with a boundary apiece in the opening four overs.

Scores: England 141-7 (20 overs); West Indies 142-4 (18 overs)

But the West Indies quickly brought that nascent partnership to an end as Deandra Dottin took a superb catch off Hayley Matthews’ bowling to dismiss Wyatt-Hodge for 16.

The West Indies kept up the pressure with the wicket of Alice Capsey (1) just five balls later thanks to more impressive fielding from Dottin.

This time she produced a terrific throw directly into Shemaine Campbelle as England tried a quick single to secure a run out with Capsey well out of her ground.

Two quick wickets rapidly swung the momentum towards the West Indies, and the dismissal of Bouchier (14) only continued that trend as England were reduced to 34 for three after the opener looped one to extra cover off Afy Fletcher.

But England were able to steady the ship through the experienced pair of Nat Sciver-Brunt and captain Heather Knight, who stymied the West Indies attack while keeping the scoreboard ticking over nicely.

Knight led from the front with 21 off just 13 balls but was then retired hurt in the 13th over.
Replacement Amy Jones looked to continue where Knight left off but was dismissed for seven when she found the hands of Dottin at backward point with a sliced shot off Fletcher.

It was almost two wickets in two balls, but new batter Charlie Dean was put down Chedean Nation. Dean was caught just under two overs later for five runs having helped guide England past the 100-mark, as Fletcher took her third wicket of the match thanks to captain Matthews pouching a comfortable catch at cover.

All the while, Sciver-Brunt kept England quietly ticking over and brought up her half-century with two boundaries in an over.

Dani Gibson and Sophie Ecclestone both added seven each before falling late on, with Ecclestone hitting a six in the final over to help England push to a final total of 141.

The West Indies made a lightning-fast start in response, with Matthews hitting 14 from the first over, including a six from just the second ball of the innings.
Her opening partner Qiana Joseph began in similarly emphatic fashion with a four from her first ball as the West Indies powered to 44 from the first four overs.

England were not without their wicket chances despite West Indies’ rapid scoring, with Capsey dropping Joseph on 31 as West Indies brought up 50 in 27 balls.

The partnership of Matthews and Joseph continued to keep up their heavy scoring and took full advantage of any mistakes in the field, with Joseph hitting another six through the hands of Bouchier.

Joseph then brought up her first international T20 fifty and then took the West Indies past 100 before finally falling for 52 from 38 balls as she was caught by Wyatt-Hodge on the boundary off of Sciver-Brunt just one ball after surviving another catch chance.

Captain Matthews then brought up her half-century and then fell to Sarah Glenn just two balls later on 50 from 38.

The pair of quick wickets proved to slow down the West Indies attack, but Deandra Dottin and Shemaine Campbelle were able to keep their side moving towards the target.

Campbelle was run out for five as West Indies closed in on victory before Dottin was bowled by Ecclestone two balls later, but her quickfire 27 left her side needing just six runs to win.

Aaliyah Alleyne got four of those from the first ball she faced before she finished off the chase with 12 balls to spare to cap a remarkable victory for West Indies.

The West Indies and South Africa have also confirmed their places at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, along with hosts England, thanks to their top three finish in the group stage, while Australia, New Zealand, and India made it from Group A.

Apart from the top six teams in this tournament, the next two highest-ranked teams in the Women’s T20I rankings as of October 21, 2024, will also qualify. The remaining four teams will qualify through a global 10-team qualifier.

Sarina Wiegman believes that Paris Saint-German's Mary Earps will face competition from Chelsea's Hannah Hampton for the England number one shirt.

Earps has endured a difficult start to life in France since her move from Manchester United ahead of the new season.

She conceded five goals across their Women's Champions League qualifying defeat to Juventus and was subsequently dropped for the Parisiens' next two league matches. 

Hampton, meanwhile, has been in fine form for Chelsea in the Women's Super League, keeping two clean sheets as the Blues remain perfect under Sonia Bompastor. 

Only Manchester United's Phallon Tullis-Joyce (100%) has a higher save percentage than Hampton (90%) in the league this season. 

Earps earned her 50th Lioness cap in a 2-1 European Championship qualifier defeat to France in June, though Hampton has seen her tipped for a starting spot at the tournament where England will look to defend their crown.

"You bring this message as if she's not a starting player for PSG and I think she is," Wiegman said.

"She's the number one goalkeeper. There's competition there, too. She started this weekend. I think moving to France, of course, she's adapting to a new situation.

"Unfortunately, they didn't qualify for the group stage in the Champions League which is a disappointment for them, for Mary and for us too, because we want to see her in the Champions League.

"So that's not the start I think she had hoped for but still, we know what she brings for us and we also know there's a huge competition going on between her and Hannah, and Anna also coming in."

Wiegman announced her 25-player squad for their upcoming friendlies against Germany and South Africa in preparation for Euro 2025, which takes place in Switzerland.

Aston Villa's uncapped defender Lucy Parker was introduced into the ranks, while Lotte Wubben-Moy and Lauren James return after missing July's qualifiers. 

Goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse retains her place in the squad, and Aggie Beever-Jones and Jessica Naz also remain, having moved across from the Under-23 squad.

Manchester City's Chloe Kelly, who scored the winning goal in the 2022 final, was also included despite falling out of favour under Gareth Taylor.

Full squad

Mary Earps (Paris Saint-Germain), Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Anna Moorhouse (Orlando Pride); Mille Bright (Chelsea), Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), Jess Carter (Gotham), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Maya le Tissier (Manchester United), Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit), Lucy Parker (Aston Villa), Leah Williamson (Arsenal), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal); Grace Clinton (Manchester United), Fran Kirby (Brighton), Jess Park (Manchester City), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Ella Toone (Manchester United), Keira Walsh (Barcelona); Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea), Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Chloe Kelly (Manchester City), Beth Mead (Arsenal), Jess Naz (Tottenham Hotspur), Alessia Russo (Arsenal).

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 officially kicked off in style on Wednesday with the Captains’ Day at the Dubai International Stadium, bringing together all 10 team captains on the eve of the ninth edition of the tournament.

A special panel session featuring all 10 captains took place during the Captains’ Day, hosted by Melanie Jones, which showed fans a glimpse into the lives, strategies, and aspirations of the captains.

Australia Captain Alyssa Healy: “There are 10 teams sitting on the stage here today that deserve to be here and have a real shot of winning this World Cup. You don't come here to defend a title; that's not what a World Cup is about, you come here to win it, so we're here with that approach, and I'm excited to get underway.

“Our pool is quite a tricky one. We’ve got to get past a lot of these teams to be able to lift the trophy, and it's a challenge we're excited for.”

West Indies Captain Hayley Matthews: “You play all year long preparing, and this is obviously the pinnacle of where you want to be as a team and where you want to be competing.

“Every series you play, every training session you have is towards that goal of a World Cup, so [preparation] definitely is a long process, and I think one as a West Indies team we've had in our sights for a very long time. So yeah, just hoping for some success.”

Bangladesh Captain Nigar Sultana: “Yeah, [shifting the event from Bangladesh] was pretty disappointing initially. But the thing is we're very professional. Now we are here, and we are going to play this, and we are pretty fortunate that we will do something that is going to help all the fans and the families and friends to get cheered.

“I'm expecting a lot of spectators, because in Sharjah there are a lot of Bangladeshis there. And playing in this kind of event, I think more people will come watch us and support.”

Scotland Captain Kathryn Bryce: “Yeah, I think we just really want to compete in this competition. We've played some fantastic cricket in the qualifiers and leading up to it, so I think, we just want to go out there and do ourselves justice on that stage and put in some good performances against these teams.”

India Captain Harmanpreet Kaur: “I think that is something we keep learning every day. Because when you win, sometimes you feel, OK, that is something I have achieved. But at the same time, next day when you go, you may make small mistakes. And I think that is part of the game. And I think learning is something which is never going to stop; every day is a learning day. Every day I'm going and learning and getting experience from every game. Yeah, I think people around me are helping me; they are working hard to make our team go at that level where we want to be. I am happy with where our team is, like how our team is working hard to achieve small, small things.”

England Captain Heather Knight: “I think captaincy is always a constant challenge. I don't think you need that freshness as a captain. You've always been challenged in different ways and trying to learn little tricks and trying to grow in everything you do. But I think as you're there more, you learn to get your messages across in slightly different ways using the people around you. I've got through a few coaches as well, so that kind of helps freshen things up. And obviously, the team's constantly evolving, which is a place where you're obviously keeping things fresh and finding different ways to say things.”

Pakistan captain, Fatima Sana: “I will try to enjoy myself, express myself and back myself as well (as captain). Actually, our whole management is supporting me, and they told me that you just take a brave decision on the field, so just try to do this, be calm and just do whatever you want.”

New Zealand Captain Sophie Devine: “I think that's been the great thing about the women's game is the development and it's what's happened off the field I think that's helped achieve that. In terms of the quick bowlers you've seen the girls become more professional and what they've been able to do in the gym is starting to see bowlers hitting 120kms and more which it makes for a challenge. It's always exciting to be coming up against that but I think it just shows the development of the women's game that those sorts of skills continue to improve.

“We've got a number of young fast bowlers coming through. And again, their development has been massive the last 12–18 months so certainly looking forward to seeing what sort of bowlers they can turn into.”

South Africa Captain Laura Wolvaardt: “I think obviously last year was great, but we're just looking to take it one game at a time. Obviously a very difficult pool, but hopefully we can make semi-finals and then anything can happen from that.

“It's obviously a bit different now. I think most players who have played in the team have never played under anyone besides Hilton (Mooreng). But Dillon (du Preez), who's taken over, has been with us for four or five years. So, he still knowshow things were and where we’re headed. And we've actually got a batting coach and a fielding coach now this season for the first time officially as well, so everything just feels really well organized at the moment. It's been great just getting a lot of information from a lot of different coaches, even just to have the extra hands at training and to have specific groups doing specific things has been awesome. We’re looking forward to this tournament.”

Sri Lanka captain, Chamari Athapaththu: “We are coming with underdog tag all the time. So, we don't have any pressure. I don't want to take too much pressure on my shoulders and my teammates' shoulders. But we keep it simple. I have a very young team, so we have a few seniors as well. I hope we can continue our best performance, because we've been playing really good cricket the last 16 months. This is a different format and different conditions, so we have to start again, fresh days. So, keep it simple, one ball one time, one game one time.”

The World Cup which will see 23 matches held over 18 days in the two host cities of Dubai and Sharjah, promises to entertain and inspire a new generation of cricket fans while serving as a transformative platform for women's cricket.

The battle to reach the top of the ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings is closer than ever ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.

With the tournament set to get underway on Thursday in the United Arab Emirates, 10 countries will battle for supremacy to be crowned world champions on October 20.

However, while full focus will be on powering their respective teams to glory, some players will also have their eyes on topping the ICC batting, bowling, and all-rounder rankings come the end of the month.

Just 22 points currently separate the top five batters, with West Indies captain Hayley Matthews leading the charge to become the first non-Australian in three years to reach the summit. But, she will have to get past Australia’s Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath to do so.

Mooney currently heads the standings at 757 points, nine ahead of her compatriot and former number one McGrath. Mooney showed why she is the one to beat with an impressive 30-ball half century in Australia’s warm-up match against England last week.

Matthews is a further two points behind in third with a career-high 746, with India’s Smriti Mandhana also in contention on 743, while Laura Wolvaardt is also close to the leaders on 735.

Big performances from any of the top five could shake up the individual standings with so little to choose between each player.

There are six countries represented in the top ten, with Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu being just nine points off the 700-point barrier, while New Zealand pair Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine are ninth and tenth, respectively.

Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana makes it seven countries in the top 13 batters, as she is the first female Bangladesh batter to accrue over 600 points.

Where the all-rounder ranking is concerned, Matthews is large and in charge there with a comfortable 109-point lead over Australia’s Ash Gardner thanks to her total of 524.

The top six all-rounders all hail from different nations, with India’s Deepti Sharma and New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr both just below the 400-point threshold.

Sri Lankan Chamari Athapaththu is the only other all-rounder above 300, with 330, while Pakistan’s Nida Dar rounds out a top six, demonstrative of the diverse strength with bat and ball set to be on show at the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Meanwhile, the bowling rankings are similarly hotly contested, with just 12 points between first and fourth. England’s Sophie Ecclestone leads the way with 757 points, but she is just two ahead of India’s Deepti Sharma.

The top four are all spinners, with Pakistan’s Sadia Iqbal on 750 points and England’s Sarah Glenn a further five back on 745.

Indeed, 13 of the top 15 ranked bowlers are spinners, with Renuka Singh Thakur and Lauren Bell the only seamers amongst that group. Thakur is fifth with 722 points, 35 off the summit.

Bell is 11th on 676 points and is one of four England bowlers in the top 15, alongside Ecclestone, Glenn, and 13th-placed Charlie Dean.

Only Australia has more bowlers in the top 20, with five; Ash Gardner leads the way for the defending champions in ninth place, while Georgia Wareham’s form has helped her climb six places into 14th.

There are eight nations represented in the top 20. Sri Lanka’s Inoshi Fernando leads those looking to break the 700 mark this month with 691 points in seventh, while Bangladesh’s Rabeya Khan is 10th with 677.

West Indies captain Hayley Matthews and all-rounder Deandra Dottin are among players from across the globe that have welcomed the ICC’s landmark decision to offer equal prize money between men’s and women’s competitions.

Matthews, Dottin, and others hailed the move by the sport’s governing body, which came ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to get underway in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday.

The tournament winners will receive US$2.34 million after the final on October 20, with the runners-up receiving US$1.17 million as part of a total prize pot of just over US$7.95 million.

That represents an increase of 225% from last year’s edition and makes cricket the only major team sport to have equal prize money for its men’s and women’s World Cup events.

The significant moment in cricket history has been met with acclaim from players ahead of the start of competition on Thursday, with Bangladesh set to take on Scotland at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

“It puts a lot of respect on the game. As women and as professional cricketers, we go out there and work super hard every day, just as hard as the men do,” Matthews said ahead of their opening match on Friday.

“We are all on the world stage the same way so to get equal prize money is a huge thing. Hopefully we can see more stuff like that being done and going across the board all the way,” she added.

West Indies, who won the tournament in 2016, welcomed back Deandra Dottin into the international fold after two years away, and the legendary all-rounder was pleased to see the ICC lead the way on tournament prize money.

“It is really good to see. Change is good, it just goes to show that women’s cricket is getting taken seriously, which is a great thing. This shows we are going forward in the right direction, and we are being more respected in that area,” Dottin noted.

Bangladesh seamer Jahanara Alam is among those hoping to be in action in the opener, and the 31-year-old believes the move to equal prize money will have a long-lasting impact on the sport.

"This is inspiring for us. I believe this will be motivating and inspiring for the next generation. It is good for us as we will get financial support,” Alam reasoned.

“Parents in Bangladesh who don't want to let their daughters take up sports and only want them to study for a job or business will be inspired by this and will be motivated to send their daughters to play cricket,” she opined.

Bangladesh’s captain, Nigar Sultana, believes the move represents the broader positive changes happening within women’s cricket.

"Money is always motivating. This is a good thing, and in women's cricket, we are seeing that a lot of changes are made. That is happening in Bangladesh as well. For the whole team, it looks like if we can do well, we can achieve good things in life. So from that point of view, it really makes us happy,” Sultana stated.

The tournament will see 10 teams vying for supremacy. Australia are defending champions, having won a year ago in South Africa.

South Africa were runners-up last year and begin their campaign against West Indies in Dubai on Friday.

The upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup will be the first ICC event where women will receive the same prize money as their male counterparts, marking a significant milestone in the sport’s history.

This decision was taken at the ICC Annual Conference in July last year, when the ICC Board took the step of reaching its prize money equity target seven years ahead of its schedule of 2030, making cricket the only major team sport to have equal prize money for its men’s and women’s World Cup events.

For the upcoming October 3-20 tournament, which will now be staged in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the winners of the tournament will receive US$2.34 million, a massive, 134 per cent increase on the $1 million awarded to Australia when they clinched the title in South Africa last year. The runners-up will receive US$1.17 million, up from $500,000, while the two losing semi-finalists will earn US$675,000, up from $210,000, with the overall prize pot totalling US$7,958,080, a massive increase on the US$2.45 million dished out last year.

This move is in line with the ICC’s strategy to prioritise the women’s game and accelerate its growth by 2032. Teams will now receive equal prize money for the equivalent finishing position at comparable events as well as the same amount for winning a match at those events. The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 event prize money is only higher on account of 10 additional teams participating and 32 more matches played.

Each win during the group stages will see teams take home US$31,154, while the six teams who fail to reach the semi-finals will share a pool of US$1.35 million depending on their finishing positions.

In comparison, the equivalent pool for the six teams in 2023 was US$180,000, shared equally. Teams who finish third or fourth in their group will take US$270,000 each, while the teams who finish fifth in their group will both receive US$135,000.

All 10 participating teams are assured of US$112,500.

The increase in prize money for this year's ICC Women’s T20 World Cup comes in line with the prize pot for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022, also increasing to US$3.5 million in total.

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will get going on October 3, with Bangladesh taking on Scotland at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

There has been a minor change to the schedule for the double-header on Saturday, October 5, in Sharjah, with Australia now facing Sri Lanka in the curtain-raiser and Bangladesh will lock horns with England in the feature encounter. A total of 10 teams will play 23 matches in Dubai and Sharjah to decide the 2024 champions.

Barcelona and Spain star Aitana Bonmati is in the running to retain the Ballon d'Or Feminin after enjoying another glittering campaign in 2023-24.

Bonmati was crowned the world's best player after helping Spain win the World Cup for the first time in 2023, succeeding team-mate Alexia Putellas, who won the award in 2021 and 2022.

The creative midfielder could follow Putellas in becoming a two-time winner after helping Barcelona win a Liga F and Champions League double in 2023-24 – their third in the last four years.

Bonmati opened the scoring in the Blaugrana's 2-0 Champions League final victory over Lyon in Bilbao, having also netted in a 2-1 aggregate triumph over Chelsea in the last four.

In the league, Barcelona won 29 of their 30 games, drawing the other, with Bonmati's 11 assists only bettered by team-mate Caroline Graham Hansen (19).

Hansen is one of five other Barca players on the 30-player shortlist, alongside Putellas, Ewa Pajor, Salma Paralluelo and Patricia Guijarro.

Four Chelsea players are nominated after the Blues sealed a dramatic Women's Super League title success in Emma Hayes' final season in charge, with former Barca full-back Lucy Bronze joined by Lauren James, Sjoeke Nusken and Mayra Ramirez.

Bronze and James are two of three England internationals to make the cut, with Lauren Hemp also in the running after scoring 11 WSL goals for Manchester City last term.

The winner of the award – as well as the recipient of the men's prize – will be announced at an awards ceremony in Paris on October 28.