Ecclestone left out of first Edwards England squad

Sophie Ecclestone has taken 297 wickets for England from 177 matches, averaging under 20 in one-day internationals and T20s

Star bowler Sophie Ecclestone has been left out of new coach Charlotte Edwards' first squad to face West Indies as England look to manage her return from a knee injury.

Ecclestone played her first match of the English season on Wednesday, scoring a 49-ball 50 and taking 1-29 off 10 overs in Lancashire's One-Day Cup win over Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

The 26-year-old is one of several senior players omitted by Edwards, who will coach her country for the first time after being appointed in the aftermath of England's disastrous Ashes campaign.

Top-order batter Maia Bouchier does not feature in either the one-day international or T20 squad, while Alice Capsey and veteran Danni Wyatt-Hodge will sit out the 50-over fixtures.

There are recalls for batter Emma Lamb, all-rounder Alice Davidson-Richards and seamer Issy Wong, while uncapped medium pacer Emily Arlott is also included.

England face West Indies in three ODIs and three T20s, starting in Canterbury on 21 June, with these series also Nat Sciver-Brunt's first as permanent captain.

Ecclestone picked up the knee injury at the Women's Premier League in India in March.

"Sophie Ecclestone is physically not quite at 100% yet," said Edwards, who has picked the squad alongside new national selector Lydia Greenway.

"She's been rehabbing and working hard but she's only just got back on the park for Lancashire so she doesn't have enough cricket under her belt to be ready for this series.

"Maia's talent is there for all to see and the challenge to her is to go and make consistent match-winning contributions for Hampshire in domestic cricket. It's the same for any player who's disappointed to not be a part of these squads."

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England ODI and T20 squads: Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt, The Blaze), Amy Jones (The Blaze), Charlie Dean (Somerset), Emily Arlott (Warwickshire), Heather Knight (Somerset), Lauren Bell (Hampshire), Linsey Smith (Hampshire), Sarah Glenn (The Blaze), Sophia Dunkley (Surrey), Tammy Beaumont (The Blaze)

ODI squad only: Alice Davidson-Richards (Surrey), Emma Lamb (Lancashire), Kate Cross (Lancashire), Mahika Gaur (Lancashire)

T20 squad only: Alice Capsey (Surrey), Danni Wyatt-Hodge (Surrey), Issy Wong (Warwickshire), Paige Scholfield (Surrey)

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Lamb and Wong recalled

Ecclestone is the number one ranked bowler in both one-day and T20 internationals, but was part of an England side that over the winter went out of the T20 World Cup in the group stages then lost every match of their Ashes tour, leading to the departure of head coach Jon Lewis and captain Heather Knight.

The spinner drew media attention for refusing a TV interview with former team-mate Alex Hartley during the tour of Australia, an experience Ecclestone says she has now "moved on" and "learned" from.

It came after Hartley questioned the fitness levels of some of England's players following their early exit from the T20 World Cup.

Bouchier, 26, is left out after scoring just 42 runs from seven innings in the Ashes campaign, while 34-year-old Wyatt-Hodge will not play in the ODIs having played 118 games in the format.

Lamb, 27, is included in the ODI line-up after making a blistering start to the One-Day Cup, hitting one century and four half-centuries for Lancashire from her seven innings to lead the competition's run-scoring charts.

She has made 17 appearances for England, most recently as part of a reserve side that travelled to Ireland in September.

Wong also last featured in the Ireland series and is selected for the T20 matches.

The 22-year-old fell out of favour from 2023, but performed strongly in an A tour of Australia last month.

Surrey all-rounder Davidson-Richards, 30, has played 15 times for England, most recently against Sri Lanka in 2023, and joins the ODI group while Arlott, 27, receives a call-up to both squads after taking 13 wickets in her first six One-Day Cup matches of the season for Warwickshire, while also striking 130 against Essex.

Opener Tammy Beaumont returns to the T20 squad, while spinner Linsey Smith could make her first appearance in an ODI.

All-rounders Freya Kemp and Danielle Gibson and seamer Lauren Filer were not considered because of injury.

England's new selection panel

Lydia Greenway worked under Charlotte Edwards as a coach at Mumbai Indians in the Women's Premier League

Former batter Greenway is working alongside her former England team-mate and captain Edwards on a selection panel that also includes managing director of women's cricket Clare Connor and performance director Jonathan Finch.

Selection had previously been the responsibility of the head coach, but Greenway, 39, will now work with Edwards to assess the talent in the relaunched women's county system.

A four-time Ashes winner, Greenway played 14 Tests, 126 one-day internationals and 85 T20 internationals for England in a 13-year career, retiring in 2016 - the same year as Edwards.

The panel sought to reward domestic form in the One-Day cup when selecting these squads.

"I've been so impressed by what I've seen across the competition," said Edwards.

"They can be proud of what they've done in order to be selected."

'Nobody's place is guaranteed'

Analysis from BBC Sport journalist Ffion Wynne

Changes from January's Ashes were always to be expected, considering both the tour's shambolic conclusion and how Edwards has repeatedly emphasised her intention to pick on form.

She wanted England's players to play more domestic cricket, and vowed that performances from those outside the squad would not go unnoticed - and she has been true to her word.

That has not always been the case, with young players often picked on potential, because the county system was not viewed as being competitive enough to prepare them for international cricket.

There are three players selected on county performances alone in Lamb, Davidson-Richards and Arlott, while Ecclestone's omission also feels significant. Past coaches would probably have taken a risk despite her lack of game time, considering her status as world number one.

This squad - and Greenway's appointment - is a clear indication to county cricketers that the system has changed, and it is also a reminder to England's familiar faces that nobody's place is guaranteed.

The accusations of cosiness within the set-up that followed the Ashes seem to have already been put to bed.