Fast bowler Cross loses England contract

England bowler Kate Cross has lost her central contract with the national team, telling the BBC's No Balls podcast that she found out on the eve of the Women's Hundred in August.

The 33-year-old, who has led England's seam attack since the retirement of Katherine Sciver-Brunt in 2023, was dropped during this summer's one-day series against India and was not selected for the forthcoming World Cup.

"It's probably been one of the toughest weeks I've had in my career actually," said Cross.

"I started the India series opening the bowling for England as vice-captain and I finished that series not even making the 13 for the last game in that series.

"Lottie [England head coach Charlotte Edwards] said to me in a chat before the game that it was a must-win game.

"As a cricketer who has always prided myself on being a reliable bowler for my captain who would stand up in big moments, that was tough to hear. That felt like a lot of trust had been lost quite quickly."

Lancashire bowler Cross has played eight Tests, 76 ODIs and 18 T20s for England, making her debut against West Indies in 2013.

In her 12-year international career, she has taken 140 wickets. She is one of only eight women to take more than 100 ODI wickets for England, with only Sophie Ecclestone (32.2) having a better strike-rate than Cross (33.4) in the format.

Cross was part of the England squad which won the Women's Ashes in Australia in 2013-14 but missed the most recent series in Australia, which saw England humbled 16-0 on points, because of a back injury.

She returned to fitness to play in one-day internationals against West Indies but was dropped after figures of 0-60 against India in the first ODI of a series which the tourists went on to win 2-1.

"As it so happened, our appraisals were about 10 days after that series," Cross told former England team-mate Alex Hartley on their No Balls podcast.

"I went down to Loughborough and I think I was in there for about six minutes and I drove myself back home.

"We had the opportunity to take somebody from the PCA [Professional Cricketers' Association] into our appraisal.

"Looking back I am so pleased I took him in. I chatted him through what I thought my scenario was about an hour or two before I went into the appraisal and I was inconsolable.

"I thought how am I going to get through the appraisal without crying and then I had cried it out and got in there and within 45 seconds, I found out I wasn't getting my contract renewed so it all happened really quickly.

"I was weirdly more calm in my appraisal than chatting before it. I had gone in there armed with a lot of my stats and stuff to talk about and I didn't open my book, I didn't get a chance to. It was a pretty savage day."

Since being told her contract will not be renewed, Cross has won The Hundred with Northern Superchargers and helped Lancashire to success in the One-Day Cup.