As England announced their squad for the upcoming white-ball series at home against Sri Lanka, the announcement saw the inclusion of the 17-year-old left-arm pacer Mahika Gaur. Mahika, a former UAE player, has become eligible to play for England having already represented UAE in the international circuit and age cricket.
Mahika's inclusion in England's ODI and T20I squads has put her on a very unique list - female players who have played for two countries in their respective careers. Mahika, though, hasn't played for England yet, she is likely to make her debut for England in the upcoming series against the island nation and the moment it happens she will join the list.
The list includes the following cricketers - Nicola Payne (Netherlands and New Zealand), Rowan Milburn (Netherlands, New Zealand), Bernadine Bezuidenhout (South Africa and New Zealand), Kim Garth (Ireland, Australia), Chamani Seneviratna (Sri Lanka and UAE), Deepika Rasangika (Sri Lanka and Bahrain), Candacy Atkins (West Indies, USA), and Mahewish Khan (Pakistan and Canada).
The emerging left-arm pacer Mahika has already got a taste of international cricket by virtue of her association with the UAE. She played a total of 19 WT20Is for the side and bagged nine scalps at an economy rate of 5.15. She is currently playing for Manchester Originals in The Women's Hundred.
Reflecting on the decision to pick Mahika, England's head coach Jon Lewis mentioned that the tall left-armer brings an element with her which is very unique to women's cricket.
"Mahika (Gaur) is a very exciting talent. Left-arm swing bowlers of over six-foot tall are unique in women's cricket. Mahika has shown consistently this summer that she is a threat with the new ball and we are excited to see how she performs at international level," said Lewis.
England's T20I squad:
Heather Knight (c), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Lauren Filer, Mahika Gaur, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp, Issy Wong, Danni Wyatt
England's ODI squad:
Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Lauren Filer, Mahika Gaur, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Emma Lamb, Nat Sciver-Brunt
