Lekin yeh itna bada mauka kyun hai? Kyunki Scrivens, jo abhi senior England team mein debut bhi nahi kar payi, ko future ka captain maana ja raha hai. Par kya yeh chhoti si team ke saath bade sapne poore kar payegi?
Grace Scrivens, 21 saal ki, pehle hi England U19s ko 2023 T20 World Cup mein lead kar chuki hain, jahan unhone 293 runs banaye aur 9 wickets liye. India ke khilaf final mein haar ke bawajood, woh Player of the Series rahi. Ab, New Zealand A ke khilaf, unhone ek baar phir captaincy ka zimma liya hai. Yeh series – teen 50-over matches (Derby aur Chelmsford) aur teen T20s (Chelmsford aur Beckenham) – unke liye ek bada test hai. New Zealand A, jo 2024 T20 World Cup champion White Ferns ka feeder team hai, koi asaan opponent nahi. Unki team mein international experience wale khiladi hain, jaise Sophie Devine jaisi players ke chhote versions!
| Player | Role | Key Performance | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grace Scrivens | Captain/Batter | 293 runs, 9 wickets | U19 T20 WC, 2023 |
| Mahika Gaur | Bowler | 2/10 (4 overs) | vs Aus A, T20, 2025 |
| Paige Scholfield | Batter | 36 (29 balls) | vs Aus A, T20, 2025 |
| Sophie Devine | NZ Reference | 100 (3rd ODI vs Eng, 2024) | NZ vs Eng, 2024 |
Scrivens ka yeh pehla A-team captaincy nahi hai. March 2025 mein, unhone Australia A ke khilaf T20 series mein England A ko lead kiya, jahan ek low-scoring match mein 3-wicket jeet mili. Scrivens ne 35 runs (38 balls) banaye, jabki Mahika Gaur ne 2/10 ke saath Australia A ko 117/6 par roka. Yeh jeet chhoti thi, lekin England ke senior team ke 7-match haar ke record ke baad, yeh ek bada morale booster tha. Yaad hai 2000 Women’s World Cup, jab New Zealand ne final mein Australia ko haraya tha? Scrivens ki team bhi aisa hi kuch chhota sa chamatkar karne ki koshish mein hai.
England A ka squad young hai, lekin talent se bharpur. 50-over squad mein Freya Kemp aur Jodi Grewcock jaise khiladi hain, jabki T20 mein Bess Heath aur Ryana MacDonald-Gay jaisi energy hai. Lekin chinta yeh hai ki Ella McCaughan 50-over series miss kar rahi hain injury ke wajah se, aur Mahika Gaur aur Grace Thompson sirf ek-ek match khelengi. Coach Jon Lewis ka kehna hai, “Yeh ek talented group hai, jo county cricket mein form mein hai.” Lekin kya yeh New Zealand A ke experience ke saath takkar le payenge?
Scrivens ke liye yeh series ek bada mauka hai apni leadership dikhaane ka, lekin pressure bhi kam nahi. New Zealand A ke paas players hain jo White Ferns ke liye taiyar ho rahe hain. England A ke naye khiladi, jaise Canada ke T20 World Cup 2026 qualifiers mein dikhe, apni chhoti si team ke saath bade teams ko challenge karte hain. Lekin agar Scrivens ki team haar gayi, toh kya yeh unki leadership par sawaal uthayega? Bas, yeh soch ke dil thoda sa dhadakta hai.
