Paige Scholfield will miss England’s South Africa tour after sustaining an ankle injury during training on Tuesday. Following a medical assessment on Wednesday, Scholfield withdrew from the T20I squad and will return to the UK for rehabilitation.
Scholfield, who debuted for England at 28 during their Ireland tour in September, was set to strengthen England’s middle order after being included in the squad as one of two changes from their T20 World Cup campaign. She replaced Alice Capsey, who was omitted due to a form slump, while Dani Gibson missed out after knee surgery. Fast bowler Lauren Filer also joined the squad for the tour.
Scholfield had expressed excitement about playing in her birthplace, South Africa. She described her call-up as a dream come true, sharing how emotional her family was upon hearing the news. “My mum started crying. It’s just so exciting, and I hope it continues,” she said.
In domestic cricket, Scholfield excelled this year. She was the fifth-highest run-scorer in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, amassing 259 runs at an average of 43.16 and a strike rate of 140.00, with a top score of 73 not out. She also scored 190 runs in the Women’s Hundred for the Oval Invincibles, striking at 137.68.
Scholfield credited England’s professional domestic setup, introduced in 2020, for her late-career breakthrough. “At 28, I had little hope of representing my country, but the current structure gives players like me opportunities,” she said.
The England-South Africa multi-format series begins Sunday with the first of three T20Is in East London, followed by ODIs and a Test match.
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