England Women's Cricketers May Miss Sri Lanka T20Is As WPL 2027 Knockouts Take Priority

New Delhi, Oct 21: England players, including skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt, will be free to skip the three-match T20I series in Sri Lanka if their respective franchises reach the knockout stage of the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2027, which runs from January 14 to February 7 next year.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced the white-ball tour itinerary on Wednesday, with the T20Is in Pallekele on February 1, 3 and 5 as preparation for the inaugural Women's T20 Champions Trophy, to be played in India from February 14 to 28. After the tournament is over, England will return for three ODIs in Dambulla on March 4, 6 and 8, respectively.

"If the England players are in the knockouts of the WPL, then they can continue to play for their respective WPL team due to the late-changing nature of the itinerary for the Champions Trophy," a source in the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) told IANS on Wednesday.

Champions Trophy rescheduling affects WPL

The Champions Trophy was originally slated to happen in Sri Lanka in June-July 2027 before the ICC advanced the dates and moved it to India, after the island nation was stripped of hosting rights over government interference in the governing body’s administration.

Apart from Sciver-Brunt, who plays for Mumbai Indians, Lauren Bell (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) and Sophie Ecclestone (UP Warriorz) have been retained for the 2027 WPL. Sophia Dunkley and Kira Chathli are the only England players registered for the WPL mini auction to be held on October 28 in Kochi.

This news agency had previously reported that the clash with matches in Sri Lanka was a major reason behind a majority of England players opting against registering for the auction and the subsequent WPL season.

ECB clarifies player availability arrangements

"England could have five players at the next WPL. The decision of other players whether or not to enter the auction is a personal decision, and this is the choice they have made.

“With Sri Lanka today announcing the schedule for the tour there next year, it means there will be some international cricket taking place during the latter stages of the WPL," further said the source.

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Sri Lankan players unaffected so far

No Sri Lankan players are affected so far, though captain Chamari Athapaththu and young pacer Mithali Ayodhya are in the auction. The ECB has been a part of this arrangement before when Sophie, Nat, Alice Capsey and Danni Wyatt-Hodge arrived late for the series against New Zealand after the 2024 WPL ended on March 17.

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)