Tess Flintoff replaces Ellyse Perry; Evelyn Jones to captain Phoenix

Birmingham Phoenix have named uncapped Australian allrounder Tess Flintoff as the injury replacement for Ellyse Perry. They have also announced that Evelyn Jones will take over the captaincy duty for the season following Perry's withdrawal from the tournament.

Perry, who was named the captain of Phoenix for the season earlier in the summer, suffered a knee injury while batting against Ireland during the second ODI in Dublin on July 25 and was ruled out of the final ODI and The Hundred. The talismanic allrounder will undergo rehabilitation back home along with her Australia teammate Alyssa Healy, who is nursing a fractured finger. A surgery has been ruled out in both the cases.

20-year-old Flintoff holds the record for the fastest fifty in the history of Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) She scored a fifty off just 16 balls while playing for Melbourne Stars during the eighth edition of the tournament. The allrounder has already linked up with the team in Edgbaston and is likely to make her debut when Phoenix take on Northern Superchargers in their opening fixture on August 3.

Flintoff, who suffered a shoulder injury during the same WBBL season, has completely recovered from it and has been part of the Australia A squad that toured England alongside Australia during the Ashes. In the first one dayer at Loughborough, Flintoff hit a 48-ball 70 to help Australia A beat England A by 41 runs.

In March, the young allrounder also travelled to Pakistan along with a bunch of internationals to play three exhibition matches.

30-year-old Jones has immense leadership experience having led Central Sparks in the England regional competitions Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy (RHF Trophy) and the Charlotte Edwards Cup (CE Cup) from 2020.

"I  feel honoured to represent Birmingham Phoenix as captain. Edgbaston is my home ground, and as a local girl, it will be a privilege to lead out the side," Evelyn said in the Phoenix media release.

This will be the third captain for - apart from Perry - Phoenix in three seasons. In the inaugural season, England wicket-keeper and Evelyn's Sparks teammate Amy Jones led the side and in the second edition, it was the turn of White Ferns skipper Sophie Devine. Having made it to the Eliminator in the first season, Phoenix missed out during the second year owing to net run rate with three wins from six matches.

Head coach Ben Sawyer believes Evelyn is the perfect fit for the role and she will be able to bring her vast experience of leading the Sparks side to the competition.

"I am excited to see Eve (Evelyn Jones) take on the captaincy role as I know she's a perfect fit. Having been part of the group since the very beginning, Eve is a leader and a strong presence within the dressing room, especially with her experience with Central Sparks," Sawyer said.