Davina Perrin will not feature in the England lineup that has been announced for the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup, while the selectors have chosen to give a debut to 18‑year‑old Surrey spinner Tilly Corteen‑Coleman. The squad, which will compete on home soil, is headed by Nat Sciver‑Brunt, who will captain England in what will be her seventh T20 World Cup appearance.
Corteen‑Coleman joins a cohort of newcomers – Warwickshire fast‑bowler Issy Wong and Durham all‑rounder Lauren Filer – all of whom are making their first appearance in a senior World Cup squad. Veteran Danni Wyatt‑Hodge of Surrey also secures a place, marking her eighth tournament at this level.
The team’s vice‑captain is all‑rounder Charlie Dean from Somerset, and the pace attack will be led by Hampshire’s Lauren Bell, whose height and swing are expected to be a key weapon in English conditions. England head coach Charlotte Edwards explained the difficulty of the selection process: “There is no doubt that it has been incredibly tough to get to these 15 names. This is the hardest set of selection meetings I have been a part of because the pool of players to choose from is so strong and so many talented players have put their hand up to be a part of the squad, which is exactly what we want. That is the nature of world‑class sport, and it is a privilege we don’t take lightly to be able to make these difficult decisions.
An ICC Women’s T20 World Cup on home soil is a special moment for the game in this country, and we are all really motivated by what could be ahead for this group of players and what they can achieve this summer.” Sciver‑Brunt added her own perspective on leading the side: “It is a huge honour to be leading England into a T20 World Cup at home in front of family and friends and all our passionate supporters. We have all been looking forward to this summer and this tournament for some time now and the naming of the squad means it is almost here and we can’t wait to get out onto the field and give it everything to win this World Cup again.
I know how much winning in 2009 meant to the players and to Charlotte Edwards as captain, and being in the team under Heather Knight’s leadership for the 2017 ODI World Cup win was incredibly special. Now the aim is to do something similar with this fantastic group of players who I know are putting their heart and soul into achieving our goal, and that hard work will continue right throughout the summer as we start with games against New Zealand and India before that tournament begins.” Corteen‑Coleman, who earned a Kent cap at the age of 11, expressed her excitement at being named in the World Cup party: “I got the good news which I was absolutely buzzing with. I’ve been on cloud nine ever since.
Being a fresh face, people haven’t had that exposure against me which does make a big difference. I love performing under pressure. I’ve had that exposure in front of crowds for domestic and county cricket but also in The Hundred. You won’t know until you’re there but I feel like I’ve got a great support network around me and I’m as ready as I can be.” England’s history at the tournament is a reminder of the challenges ahead: the team exited at the group stage in both 2010 and 2024.
Yet the current group is determined to change that narrative. Sky Sports cricket analyst Tash Farrant commented on the selection of the teenage spinner: “There’s a huge amount of excitement. That was the one question on everyone’s mind – would Tilly get picked? She got picked up for over £100k just a couple of months ago.
People could think that she was picked on just for her potential because she’s only 18. But also, she’s tried and tested in The Hundred format, playing for the Southern Brave. She’s won that competition once for them. She has been picked on potential, but more so because she has bowled brilliantly against some of the best players and she has really impressed Charlotte Edwards.” Former England coach Charlotte Edwards, who previously led the Southern Brave in The Hundred, also praised Corteen‑Coleman’s readiness for the step up to international cricket.
"Tilly has shown composure with the ball, extracting movement and varying her pace. She’s a genuine wicket‑taking option and her fielding is top‑class. I’m confident she will thrive when the pressure mounts at the World Cup," Edwards said.
Sky Sports’ veteran commentator Atherton highlighted a few key players to watch: “I have to go with the captain, Nat Sciver‑Brunt. It’s very important at a home tournament, with a lot of scrutiny, a lot of pressure, a lot of expectation. The captain and the leader as a driving force and obviously one of the best players as well, which Nat Sciver‑Brunt is.
Opening bowler Lauren Bell, in English conditions, opening bowling, it’s very important to find that movement with the new ball.” Heather Knight, England’s current captain in the longer formats, spoke about the broader ambition for the home World Cup: “Our ambition at the home Women’s T20 World Cup starting in June is to create a real legacy for women’s cricket in this country, emulating the Lionesses and Red Roses. The landscape of women’s sport has changed considerably since 2017 and our side’s World Cup triumph.
England’s Lionesses have won back‑to‑back Euro titles in 2022 and 2025 – the first in front of a sold‑out Wembley – and the Red Roses secured the Rugby World Cup at a full‑house Twickenham last September. The focus now is women’s cricket at the World Cup so it’s really exciting, not too far away now and a chance for us to do something really special as a side. Home support was huge for us in 2017, the way the crowds built and the final at Lord’s, it’s super special. It’s a chance to have a real impact on the sport in your country and leave a legacy.
If we do our job right and have success this summer we can leave a real legacy on the sport of women’s cricket in this country. It took a little bit of time for that success to see changes and I think the landscape is very different now – particularly in women’s cricket – there’s the structure beneath the game, the domestic game’s professional. It’s a lot more normal to be a women’s cricketer, there’s a lot more visibility.
You’d hope now if we have that success and things go well for us the structures are in place to make the most of it and really make it a huge moment. We’ve seen what the Lionesses and Red Roses have done, I’ve followed those very closely and know some of the players.
We want to do something similar and hopefully inspire kids to make a girl in cricket really normal and really great.” Beyond the T20 World Cup, the selectors have also announced England’s squads for the upcoming Metro Bank One‑Day series against New Zealand and the Vitality IT20 series against New Zealand and India. Five additional players have been added to the ODI squad for the three‑match Metro Bank series, including first‑time internationals Kira Chathli and Jodi Grewcock. Meanwhile, Sophia Dunkley, Charlie Dean and Danni Wyatt‑Hodge will sit out the ODI series to manage workload, with Wyatt‑Hodge also preparing for the arrival of her first child.
Sarah Glenn remains unavailable as she continues to recover from a broken finger. The IT20 squads for the New Zealand and India series mirror the World Cup selection, giving the team continuity heading into the tournament. Fans can watch England’s matches live on Sky Sports, with selected games available for free streaming via the Sky Sports app, and contract‑free streaming on NOW for those without a Sky subscription. Overall, England enters the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup with a blend of seasoned campaigners and promising newcomers, a clear strategic vision from coach Charlotte Edwards, and a national desire to cement a lasting legacy for women’s cricket on home soil.