Hosts England Women’s Cricket Team on Tuesday announced their squad for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, which will begin at Edgbaston on June 12.
All-rounder Nat Skiver-Friend will be the captain in his seventh T20 World Cup. The team combines experience with emerging talent as 18-year-old off-spinner Tilly Gardeen-Coleman earns her first call-up alongside pacers Issy Wong and Lauren Filer, both set to make their debuts.
Gardeen-Coleman rose to prominence in 2024 after taking four wickets in four balls in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and then impressed in The Hundred. Head coach Charlotte Edwards caught the eye during a recent training camp in South Africa.
Despite adding new faces, England have retained a core group of experienced players in their first home ICC tournament since their 50-over World Cup win in 2017.
Veteran batsman Danny Wyatt-Hodge is set to make his eighth T20 World Cup appearance, highlighting the side’s depth in experience.
Notably missing out is 19-year-old batsman Davina Perrin, who has had a remarkable rise in domestic cricket.
Speaking at the team announcement, Edwards acknowledged the difficulty of finalizing the 15-man roster. He stressed the importance of hosting the global tournament on home soil and expressed confidence in the team’s potential.
“The waiting and wondering is over,” Edwards said in a press release. “We have named our ICC Women’s T20 World Cup squad and there is no doubt that it was incredibly difficult to get these 15 names.
“This has been one of the toughest selection meetings I’ve ever been involved in because the selection panel is so strong and so many talented players have put their hands up to be part of the squad, which is what we want. It’s the nature of the world-class game and we’re privileged to not take these tough decisions lightly.
Captain Sciver-Brunt described it as a “huge honour” to lead England at a home World Cup and said the team were determined to deliver a title-winning performance in front of their home fans.
“It is a huge honor to lead England at home in the T20 World Cup in front of family and friends and all our passionate supporters.
“We’ve all been looking forward to this summer and this tournament for some time now and the naming of the squad means it’s almost here and we can’t wait to get out on the field and give it our all to win this World Cup again.
“I know how important winning in 2009 was to the players and to Charlotte Edwards as captain, and to be in the Heather Knight-led squad for the 2017 ODI World Cup victory was incredibly special.
“The aim now is to do something similar with these amazing players who I know are putting their heart and soul into achieving our goal and the hard work will continue throughout the summer starting with the games against New Zealand and India before that tournament kicks off.”
England Women’s Squad for 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup:
Nat Skiver-Brunt (C), Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Tilly Gardeen-Coleman, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danni Gibson, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp, Heather Knight, Lynsey Smith, Issy Wong-Honey Viatz.