Sophie Ecclestone: I considered quitting after Alex Hartley spat

Telegraph

22-07-2025

Sophie Ecclestone has admitted she considered quitting cricket in the aftermath of the public spat involving Alex Hartley and the Ashes whitewash.
In January, before the first T20 of the Women's Ashes, Ecclestone refused to be interviewed by her former team-mate Hartley, who later said on air she had been 'hung out to dry' by players who would not speak to her.
In the wake of England's dismal T20 World Cup exit in October, Hartley said some members of the side were not up to the required fitness standards, and stood by her claims as the side performed badly throughout the 16-0 whitewash Down Under.
'It was a weird time,' Ecclestone told Sky Sports, speaking about the incident for the first time before taking the field for the final ODI of the series against India at Durham.
'I felt like I was taking my warm-up more seriously than doing interviews for a game. I feel like that went down [the] wrong way and a few things were said. I was just concentrating on cricket at that moment but a lot of things were being said which wasn't ideal.'
Ecclestone disputed the claim that she refused to do the interview, saying: 'The word 'refuse' was being thrown around which wasn't really true.'
Clare Connor, managing director of England Women's cricket, called it an 'unfortunate incident that won't happen again' during her press conference the morning after the series.
When new head coach Charlotte Edwards and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt then took over from sacked coach Jon Lewis and captain Heather Knight, Ecclestone took a break from cricket before the white-ball series against India to prioritise her mental health.
'During the West Indies series, I wasn't actually sure if I was going to come back and play cricket,' she said. 'It was a tough time. [I] feel like I have come out of the other side now, back playing cricket with the girls. I [have] got a smile on my face again and I feel like I wouldn't have done it without the girls.
'It wasn't very nice but we are all over that now. There were a lot of feelings involved and [it's time] to move on,' she explained.
After the Ashes whitewash, Ecclestone went to the Women's Premier League where she suffered a torn meniscus, and was left out of the white-ball series against West Indies. Ecclestone returned to the national side for the India series, coming straight back into the starting XI and playing every match of the series, including taking three for 27 at Lord's.