England squads named for World Cup

England have named their squads for the 2025 World Cup, which will see them compete in all four divisions at the international event this coming September.

After the Open Men were the only team to attend the 2022 edition in Melbourne, Action Indoor Cricket England (AICE) have committed to additionally sending Open Women, Under-22 Men and Women’s sides as well this time round, as they did at the 2017 tournament.

Open Men

The Open Men’s team will be led again by Navin Patel, who currently sits on 44 tests (England and New Zealand combined) and is in line to bring up his 50th international cap at the tournament. Six other players from the side which finished third at the England-Asia Cup in Colombo last year will also join Patel on the trip - experienced vice-captain Anish Patel, Connor Roff, Tom Clarke, Dan and Ollie Green, and Jaedyn Bartosh-Short.

Liam Brazier comes back into the team and will add to his 40 tests* after last playing at the 2022 World Cup, as are Michael and Matthew Gallear, Kabeer Imtiaz, and Nil Patel, who last played in a series against Sri Lanka in 2020. Making way from last year’s Sri Lanka tour are James Baker, Fraser Bartholomew, and also Zach Healey, who will play for the Under-22 Men.

The English side will be hoping for a vast improvement from their last World Cup outing, where they finish sixth out of eight teams in round-robin play, and then fell to the UAE in the preliminary final of the Plate phase. They have some experience to draw on having played at the same venue the World Cup will be held at, during the England-Asia Cup last year. Their four wins from eight matches was not enough to get in the final, but they were able to take a victory over India during the tournament.

Open Women

The Women’s team fared a lot better at the England-Asia Cup last year, sweeping the opposition consisting of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka A, Singapore and England A (Lionesses) on their way to the title. Seven players from that squad will travel to the World Cup - Malorie Bartosh-Short, Una Paramjothy, D’Nica Roff, Lucy Weston, Aimee Colquhoun, Ruby Millington, and Loren Dean. Jess Pym, Emily Stanyard, Lauren Barclay, Alice Quemby and Katia Boulton come into the squad, whilst regular captain Niki Patel is not able to make the trip, and Fran Callwood and Faye Stanley will both play for the Under-22 Women after making their senior debuts last year. Anish Patel will pull double duty at the tournament as the head coach of the side.

The Open Women last played at a World Cup in 2017 in Dubai, where they finished fourth after being bested by South Africa in the minor semi-final.

Under-22 Men and Under-22 Women

England have an emerging junior development programme, which they have been steadily building, and saw them take four teams to the Junior World Series in Dubai in late 2023.

Their Under-18 sides both won the Plate titles in their respective divisions, and a number of those players have moved up to the Under-22 sides for this tournament. From the 2023 Junior World Series sides, Leo Ward, Rehan Chisti and Lawrence Burton (who also played for the Under-22 side in a Tri-Series in 2022) come into the team, as do Sam Staley and Ed Dickinson, who played for the Under-15s.

The Under-22 Men played in a Tri-Series in Dubai back in 2022, prior to the last World Cup, where they finished runners-up to South Africa.

For the Under-22 Women, nine players from their Under-18 Junior World Series side will play at the tournament - captain Libby Snowdon, Grace Nuttall, Lexie Cantrill, Imaan Effendi, Rhea Bustt, Connie Squire-Wood, Kady Fuller, Kerry Fisher and Charlotte Bulpitt.

Whilst constrained by resources and a smaller talent pool; with just one indoor sports centre in each of Birmingham, Derby, Leicester and Nottingham to choose from - and none of the main metropolitan areas or cities - AICE have been working to increase the number of players taking up indoor cricket during the winter months in England and Wales.

The cost of travel also being significant, another tournament being held in the Asian region has seen AICE commit to sending teams across all divisions, to bolster the number of sides attending the event this year.

England squads for 2025 World Cup

Open Men

Navin Patel (C), Anish Patel (VC), Jaedyn Bartosh-Short, Ollie Green, Dan Green, Connor Roff, Michael Gallear, Liam Brazier, Kabeer Imtiaz, Nil Patel, Tom Clarke, Matthew Gallear,

Head Coach: David Brown

Assistant Coach: Danny Spasic

Open Women

Malorie Bartosh Short, Lucy Weston, Aimee Colquhoun, D'Nica Roff, Ruby Millington, Loren Dean, Jess Pym, Emily Stanyard, Una Paramjothy, Lauren Barclay, Alice Quemby, Katia Boulton.

Head Coach: Anish Patel

Assistant Coach: Robin Roff

Under-22 Men

Amaan Hassan (C), Zaidan Aqeel, Charlie Palmer, Connor Wilson, Ed Dickinson, Joe Bourne, Lawrence Burton, Leo Ward, Rehan Chishti, Sam Staley, Oliver Henderson, Zach Healey.

Head Coach: Akeel Hussain

Manager: Peter Staley

Under-22 Women

Libby Snowdon (C), Grace Nuttall, Lexie Cantrill, Fran Callwood, Imaan Effendi, Issie Barnes, Rhea Busst, Connie Squire-Wood, Kady Fuller, Kerry Fisher, Faye Stanley, Charlotte Bulpitt.

Head Coach: Finlay Moore
Manager: Neeta Patel

*Based on records obtained from the Spawtz Management System, 2009 onwards.

Images: Getty Images for Cricket Australia / Nuhan Perera

Graphics: Shewon Fonseka