The England women’s team is gearing up for the upcoming ODI World Cup 2025 slated to be hosted by India and Sri Lanka. While the group is prepping well, Kate Cross, their teammate dwells about her future after losing the central contract and her place in the World Cup squad.
Cross said that after playing 102 games for her country across all formats in an international career that lasted almost 12 years, she was informed by England Women’s head coach Charlotte Edwards and director of cricket Jonathan Finch during a post-season evaluation in August that her central contract would not be renewed.
“I had my appraisal with Lot and Finchy, our director of cricket, and they just told me that I’m not going to get my England contract renewed next year,” Cross said in a pre-recorded segment for the latest episode of No Balls, the podcast that she co-hosts with best friend and former team-mate Alex Hartley. “So as of October this year, 2025, I will not be a professional cricketer for England anymore.”
“I was dreading saying that, I feel sick,” Cross added in the episode released on Tuesday.
Cross was informed of her World Cup exclusion halfway through The Hundred competition after receiving her appraisal in early August, the eve of the Hundred, where she eventually played for the Northern Superchargers team that won the championship. She also disclosed that Edwards had asked her to be a World Cup reserve after the Hundred.
“I had a phone call with Lottie at the end of the Hundred where she was like: ‘Look if you’re willing, can you keep training through October? Because if an injury goes down to one of the seamers, we are going to need you.’ That’s the bit I’m finding tough, because the end point isn’t now for me,” Cross said. “I’m back at Old Trafford next week bowling. It’s not been great. But I also have to think if an injury does go down, I have to go and be ready to play for England in a World Cup.”
With England Women’s central contracts due to be announced in December, Cross said she had a bad feeling after that 2-1 home series loss versus India.
“I started the India series opening the bowling for England as vice-captain, and I finished that series not even making the 13 that was named the night before, for the squad to play in that last ODI,” Cross said. “Lottie said to me, in a chat the day before the game, that it was a must-win game and I’m not part of the 13. As a cricketer who’s always prided myself on being a reliable bowler for your captain, who would hopefully stand up in big moments and do what I’ve done for a while for England, that was pretty tough to hear. I felt like a lot of trust had been lost quite quickly.
“I’m not daft, I’m old enough and wise enough, and been around the block plenty of times to know that something’s happened there that might mean my future is maybe in a little bit of jeopardy.
“When I came out of that India series, I felt a little bit lost and I didn’t feel like Lottie trusted me that much, having started the series where I did. I even said to Lottie, ‘I’m not daft, I know I didn’t bowl great (in the first ODI) at Southampton’. I didn’t feel like it was a droppable offence, but I know that wasn’t me at my best.”
Moreover, Cross questioned whether the injury she sustained during the South Africa series might have changed something in her.
“That’s the stuff that you come to terms with, I guess, but I don’t quite feel like that’s the case,” she said. “I feel like I still have a lot to give the team and I know everyone that gets pushed out will say that, they’ll say that they always still felt like they’ve got stuff to give.
“I’m so aware that my international career had to come to an end at some point, and it was going to be unlikely that I’d get to do it on my terms, because not many people get the privilege of finishing it on their terms. So I always knew that this would probably be how it was done, that I wouldn’t be ready for it.
“But I think it’s just the speed of it. I honestly think in a couple of months’ time, a couple of years’ time, I might look back and be really pleased at how quickly it all happened, so I’ve not had to do that year of getting phased out and doing drinks and stuff like that. But I’m also sitting here questioning whether I want to play cricket again.”
Lastly, Cross admired the honesty of Lottie and also said she would spend her winters away from the game to decide what she wants for her in the future.
“Lottie has, to be fair to her, kept reaching out saying, ‘can we have a chat?’ and I’m like, there’s no point for me yet because I don’t know what to say,” Cross said. “I don’t have anything to say to you that’s going to make me feel better.
“The chat might make her feel better, but I don’t think I’m ready for that yet. That almost feels like something that might happen next year or in two years’ time, or maybe never.”
