England spinner Sophie Ecclestone has told Sky Sports she was unsure if she’d return to play cricket following the fallout from her refusal to give an interview during the Women’s Ashes in January.
Ecclestone declined to speak to her former team-mate turned pundit Alex Hartley during a troubled tour that ultimately led to the removal of head coach Jon Lewis and captain Heather Knight following a 16-0 whitewash.
Hartley had criticised the team’s conditioning and fitness levels and claimed those comments had seen her “hung out to dry” by some in the dressing room.
Alex Hartley believed she was shunned by the England Women’s cricket team after criticism during the Ashes
Ecclestone – the world’s top-ranked ODI bowler – missed England’s series’ against West Indies earlier this summer as she recovered from a knee injury, before taking a break from the game in order to manage a quad issue and “prioritise her wellbeing”.
The 26-year-old told Sky Sports she considered quitting cricket due to the fallout from the controversy.
“During the West Indies series, I wasn’t actually sure if I was going to come back and play cricket,” a teary Ecclestone said.
“I cried to a few people, cried to my dad – I’m getting emotional now.
England spinner Sophie Ecclestone said she was unsure over a return to playing cricket after Ashes criticism
“It was a tough time, but I’m out the other side now and back playing cricket, back with the girls and with a smile on my face.
“I wouldn’t have done it without the girls, people like Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey and family and friends. I wouldn’t be playing cricket now without them.”
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Watch Sophie Ecclestone take 3-27 from her six overs in England’s second ODI victory over India.
Ecclestone elaborated that the criticism levelled at her from the Ashes “affected me quite a lot, to be honest”.
“I had to come off social media for a couple of weeks during the Ashes,” she added. “It was very tough, I feel like there were a lot of words being thrown around about me that weren’t true.”
Asked what sort of comments were being thrown at her, Ecclestone said: “That I was really arrogant. And that’s just not me as a person.
“People that know me, close family and friends, know that’s not true. It was just hard to take at the time.
England suffered a 16-0 series whitewash at the hands of Australia in the Women’s Ashes last winter
“The word ‘refused’ was being thrown around [about the interview], and that just wasn’t really true. And some of the things people were saying about the team I didn’t really agree with.”
Ecclestone added: “I feel like I was giving more prep towards my warm-up, taking that more seriously than doing an interview before an Ashes game. Obviously that went down the wrong way and a few things were said.
“I was so surprised [by public’s reaction]. It got slightly blown out of proportion.
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Sky Sports’ James Cole breaks down why Jon Lewis left his role as England Women’s head coach.
“It was no one’s fault. But it was hard at the time because I came back to my phone and had about 25,000 messages about something that had happened in the media.
“It was a bit unfair. But I feel like the media are there to comment, so that happens.”
