Sarah Taylor left out of England's trip to UAE
Saturday 25 March 2017 11:41, UK
England have left Sarah Taylor out of their 24-person squad for the training camp in the United Arab Emirates next month.
Taylor won the last of her 190 England caps in the ICC World Twenty20 semi-final defeat to Australia in Delhi almost a year ago.
The 27-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman subsequently announced that she was taking an indefinite break from cricket because of stress-related issues.
Live Test Cricket
Despite Taylor being left out of the team that will play three matches against Ireland at Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Stadium, coach Mark Robinson insists that she remains in the reckoning for this summer's World Cup.
"Sarah Taylor is going really well at the moment and is back in training," Robinson said. "Her return is a graduated one which is regularly reviewed as she works herself back to hopefully full fitness.
"There are no timescales in place for her, but her goal is still to give herself the best chance of being able to play in the World Cup."
England have chosen to take 17 of the centrally-contracted players alongside seven of the England Women's Senior Academy players.
The trip will include several inter-squad matches alongside three 50-over matches between an England XI and their Irish counterparts.
Captain Heather Knight says it is a key part of the team's preparations ahead of the ICC Women's World Cup in England this summer.
Knight said: "This is an exciting step in the build-up to the World Cup, we've begun to show who we are as a side over the past year and we'll continue to work hard and continue to progress.
"We are looking forward to getting back outside and testing ourselves against Ireland. I'm sure there will be a few of the squad who will be keen to see who comes out on top when we play each other as well."
The matches against the Ireland XI will take place on the 24th, 26th and 28th of April at the Sheikh Zayed stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Sky customers can now upgrade to Sky Sports and get 12 months for just £18 per month. Upgrade now!
