England have beefed up their spin department by picking offspinners Danielle Hazell and Danielle Wyatt in the 14-member squad for the three-match Women's Ashes T20 series. Left-arm spinner Rebecca Grundy has also been included in the squad. Seamers Kate Cross and Fran Wilson, who were part of the Test squad, have been left out of the T20 series, which starts at Chelmsford on Wednesday.
Hazell is currently the top-ranked T20 bowler in the ICC Rankings while Wyatt has also featured in more than 50 T20s, claiming 46 wickets and scoring 395 runs.
"We have called-up Danielle Hazell and Danielle Wyatt for the three must-win Women's Ashes NatWest IT20s," England's head of performance, Paul Shaw, said. "Together they offer us a lot of international T20 experience, with well over 100 caps in this format between them, and Danielle Hazell currently topping the ICC T20 bowling rankings.
"We know that we face a huge challenge to get back into this Women's Ashes contest, but there is a lot of pride and fight within this England women's squad, and I know that the players will give it everything in these last three matches."
The hosts, trailing 8-2, need to sweep the T20 series if they are to mount a successful defence of the Ashes. Australia, on the other hand, need only one win (or a no result) to reclaim the Ashes, after clinching the solitary Test and sealing a 2-1 victory in the ODI series.
England squad: Charlotte Edwards (capt), Katherine Brunt, Georgia Elwiss, Lydia Greenway, Rebecca Grundy, Jenny Gunn, Danielle Hazell, Heather Knight, Laura Marsh, Natalie Sciver, Anya Shrubsole, Sarah Taylor, Lauren Winfield, Danielle Wyatt