England Spinner Ecclestone Considers Quitting Amid Ashes Backlash

England's top spinner Sophie Ecclestone revealed she considered quitting cricket after facing intense public backlash during the Ashes series, sparked by a controversy involving broadcaster and former teammate Alex Hartley. Ecclestone was criticized for allegedly refusing to give an interview to Hartley, which she disputed, explaining she was focused on her warm-up and that the term "refusal" was misleading. The incident, along with harsh criticism following England's 16-0 Ashes whitewash and early T20 World Cup exit, took a serious toll on her mental health, leading her to take a break from cricket to prioritize her wellbeing. Ecclestone described receiving thousands of negative messages and having to step away from social media to protect herself, admitting she felt drained and emotional during that period. She credited teammates Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, and her family for supporting her comeback, saying she now feels renewed and is back playing with a smile. England's management acknowledged the incident as unfortunate and emphasized learning from it as the team moves forward under new leadership.