“I want to finish my career as an all-time great” – Potterhead and spin enchantress Sophie Ecclestone on her stellar journey, preferred Women’s IPL team & ultimate ambition

At an age when most cricketers try to find their feet at the international level, Sophie Ecclestone is already a world-beater. The England left-arm spinner, now 23, is a genuine wicket-taker, having snared 68 T20I, 76 ODI and 15 Test wickets in 50, 47 and 4 games respectively.

The Numero Uno bowler in both women’s T20Is and ODIs, Ecclestone added a new feather to her cap by finishing as the leading wicket-taker in this year’s ICC Women’s World Cup with 21 scalps in 9 matches. Her stellar form with the ball inspired England to stage a fantastic turnaround and storm into the final against Australia after losing their first three fixtures to the Aussies, the West Indies and South Africa.

The tall spinner registered her career-best ODI figures (6/36) in the semi-final against a formidable South African outfit at the Hagley Oval, where she rattled the Proteas middle order with her accuracy and smart variations.

Born in Chester, Ecclestone started playing leather-ball cricket at the age of ten and was fast-tracked into England’s senior team in 2016 following a wicket-laden spell for England’s Academy squad.

She climbed to the top of the ICC Women’s T20I rankings for bowlers in 2020 and became the first England spinner to achieve the feat since Danielle Hazell in 2015. The same year, she became the youngest cricketer ever to bag 50 T20I wickets at the tender age of 20 years and 300 days.

Indian legend Jhulan Goswami is currently the highest wicket-taker in women’s cricket history with 352 international scalps to her name. Can Ecclestone break the veteran pacer’s record by the time she hangs up her boots? With age on her side and her best years yet to come, she’s tipped to end up as an all-time great.

The England spin spearhead is currently participating in the fourth edition of the Women’s T20 Challenge for the Supernovas in Pune. Having ended their league campaign on Tuesday with one win and one defeat, the two-time champions are keenly awaiting the result of Thursday’s clash between Velocity and Trailblazers, with all three teams being in contention for Saturday’s final.

Sportskeeda caught up with Ecclestone on Wednesday for a freewheeling chat where she got candid about her journey so far, the franchise she would like to represent in the Women’s IPL, and her future goals. We also played a rapid fire round with this Potterhead and Everton FC supporter. Here are the excerpts:

Q: At just 23 years of age, you’re the world’s best female bowler in both ODIs and T20Is. How much do you enjoy being in the limelight?

Ecclestone: It’s an amazing feeling, to be honest. My brother and mother, who have played a big part in my growth as a cricketer, are very proud of what I’ve achieved in my career so far. Hopefully, there’s more to come.

Q: To achieve the no. 1 ranking is one thing, but to maintain that over a period of time is very difficult. Do you have a mentor who helps you cope with the pressure?

Ecclestone: Our spin coach Gareth Breese is my mentor. He knows my game out-and-out and how I am on certain days. He knows how to get the best out of me. He keeps telling me that I’ll do well, which helps me enjoy my cricket.

Q: Supernovas played back-to-back matches in the space of just fifteen hours. How much should the scheduling be blamed for your loss against Velocity on Tuesday?

Ecclestone: I think it did make an impact. We started the game at 7:30 pm on Monday and returned to the hotel at 2 am. We were then back on the ground at 1 pm on Tuesday. Everyone was very tired, but we don’t want to give any excuses.

Q: You must be waiting nervously for the result of the Trailblazers versus Velocity match. How is the team unwinding?

Ecclestone: I think everybody is low on energy at the moment (laughs). We all want to spend some quality time with ourselves and maybe do a bit of pool recovery. Hopefully, we can get some energy back and play the final on Saturday.

Q: England are currently banking on a lot of young players like yourself. How do you view this transition?

Ecclestone: Currently, there’s ample opportunity for young players to make a mark. Emma Lamb, for example, was selected for the World Cup. It’s important that we scout and promote the next generation of players as Heather Knight won’t be around forever.

Q: Which format do you enjoy playing the most?

Ecclestone: I love playing T20 cricket the most as it’s shorter and more exciting. I also enjoy playing Test cricket. Although we haven’t played much of it recently, we’ll play a few Tests this year. It would be great to have more Tests added to the calendar.

Q: Who is your spin idol?

Ecclestone: Initially, I was a seamer, so I didn’t bowl spin when I started playing. I don’t really have an idol, but my childhood coach Robin Fisher taught me how to bowl spin. You can say he's my role model.

Q: How long have you been following the IPL?

Ecclestone: I’ve not really followed the IPL as the match timings clashed with my school hours. Being here in India, I now follow it a lot more, watching the matches on TV.

Q: How important is it for a full-fledged Women’s IPL to start soon?

Ecclestone: I think it would be massive to have franchise cricket for women in India. The Women’s IPL, if it starts next year, will be huge for us. The Hundred in England has been massive for women’s cricket. It has got a lot of success.

Q: Do you aspire to play for a particular city in the Women’s IPL?

Ecclestone: Not really. My favourite colour is pink and Rajasthan Royals wear pink, so that might be an option (laughs)! Let’s see how things pan out.

Q: England are blessed with spin-bowling riches with Sarah Glenn (leg-spin), Mady Villiers (off-spin) and you (left-arm spin) bringing different things to the table. Do you think this is the most versatile spin attack in the world at the moment?

Ecclestone: We’re all quite young right now. We also have Charlie Dean coming through who did well in the World Cup. I believe that we have the potential to become the best spin attack in a couple of years from now. We need more experience under our belt.

Q: The Indian spin attack comprising the likes of Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Radha Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Poonam Yadav and Deepti Sharma also has a lot of variety. Do you enjoy your rivalry with them?

Ecclestone: Absolutely! We share with each other what we have learned and the knowledge we have accumulated so far. I talk to Yadav quite often and I appreciate the fact that she thinks differently from me. I have also learned a few things from Deepti. It’s great to interact with each other while playing at this level.

Q: England did well to reach the World Cup final despite losing their first three matches. How much did the turnaround boost England's morale?

Ecclestone: We didn’t have the best of starts in the World Cup, but winning the fourth game against India was the turning point. It’s all down to the girls. We’re such a good unit together. We are always there for each other, and we play for each other. The World Cup has given us massive confidence as a unit.

Q: Being a tall spinner, you have a high release point. How big an advantage is that?

Ecclestone: I use it to my advantage as I can extract more bounce than the other spinners. I think Taniya Bhatia [Supernovas wicket-keeper] has been struggling to deal with the bounce this week (laughs)!

Q: What is your ultimate ambition as a cricketer?

Ecclestone: A couple of years ago, all I wanted was to be the no. 1 bowler in the world. To have achieved this feat in both formats at 23 years of age is absolutely crazy for me and my family. It’s a massive honour for me to have come so far. When I finish my career, I want to be an all-time great and the leading wicket-taker for England. Above all, I want to win many trophies for my country.

Q: Jhulan Goswami is currently the leading wicket-taker in the history of women’s cricket. Do you think you can surpass her in the future?

Ecclestone: Jhulan di is an amazing asset for India and everyone in world cricket looks up to her. When I first met her, I felt like calling her Jhulan di because she has been around for a long time. She helped me out last year by giving me her trousers as my trousers were not long enough. She’s a great human being.

[About the world record] Jhulan di has taken loads of wickets and is an all-time great. I’ll continue to enjoy my game and see where it takes me.

RAPID FIRE ROUND

Your favourite Everton footballer?

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Which team will you support in the UEFA Champions League final?

My partner is a Liverpool fan, so he’s traveling to Paris to watch the final. A part of me hopes that he has a good day and the other part hopes that Liverpool loses (laughs)!

Your favourite cricket stadium?

Emirates Old Trafford

One Indian dish you’ve had the experience of eating, but will probably never touch again?

Palak Paneer!

Which players from the Indian team do you have a good rapport with?

Harleen Deol and Smriti Mandhana