Sophie Ecclestone Opens Up About Mental Health Struggles and Near Retirement

England spinner Sophie Ecclestone has revealed she considered stepping away from cricket entirely following a challenging winter marred by injury, public criticism, and personal struggles with mental health.

In a candid interview with Sky Sports ahead of the third and final ODI against India, Ecclestone spoke about the emotional toll of England’s disappointing performances at the T20 World Cup and Ashes earlier this year, which led to her missing the start of the home season against West Indies.

"It was a tough time for me personally," said Ecclestone. "I tore my meniscus, my knee was sore, and I just felt completely drained. I wasn’t even sure if I’d come back to cricket during the West Indies series."

The world’s top-ranked ODI bowler took a mental-health break during the early summer, opting to skip England’s ODI series while continuing a cautious return through domestic cricket with Lancashire. Her comeback to international action came in the white-ball series against India.

Ecclestone credited her support system—including team-mates Lauren Bell and Alice Capsey, as well as family and friends—for helping her rediscover her love for the game. That resurgence was on full display during the second ODI at Lord’s, where she earned Player-of-the-Match honours for her 3 for 37, helping England level the series.

But her time away from the game came amid a storm of media speculation, including a controversy involving former England spinner-turned-broadcaster Alex Hartley. During the Ashes in Australia, Ecclestone was accused by Hartley of refusing a TV interview, an incident that sparked backlash online.

"It was a weird time. The word 'refusal' got thrown around, but that just wasn’t true," Ecclestone said. "I was focusing on my warm-up, and some of the things said about me really affected me. I even went off social media during the Ashes—it all got too much."

Ecclestone added that the public scrutiny had painted an unfair picture of her character. "People were saying I was arrogant, and that’s just not who I am," she said. "There were a lot of words being thrown around that weren’t true. It was hard to take for me and for the team."

England’s managing director of women’s cricket, Clare Connor, previously described the Hartley situation as “an unfortunate incident that won’t happen again,” affirming that the team remains committed to their media responsibilities.

Despite the emotional toll, Ecclestone acknowledged that heightened visibility and media attention are part of women’s cricket’s rapid growth. Having made her debut at just 17 in 2016, she now finds herself navigating a sport with far more scrutiny.

"I came off the field and had 25,000 messages on my phone—I just thought, 'Wow, that's mega,'" she recalled. "It got blown out of proportion a bit, but I’ve learned from it."

With her mental and physical health now on firmer ground, Ecclestone is back where she belongs—leading England’s bowling attack and playing with, as she says, "a smile on my face again."

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