Brindle's last one-day international was against India in December 2005

Louth's Arran Brindle has been called up to the England women's academy squad, more than five years after her last international appearance.

The former Ashes winner played nine Tests and 58 one-day games for England but stepped down to start a family.

Brindle, 29, told BBC Lincolnshire: "It was a case of if and when I felt it was right from a family point of view, as well as still playing and enjoying it.

"I'm very excited and probably even more driven than I was before."

The England women's academy squad - effectively one step below the full England side - will hold a training camp in Pune, India between 4 - 14 April.

It takes a lot of fitness, you need to step up as soon as you consider the next level Arran Brindle

Brindle has continued her cricket career at a local level, playing for and captaining Louth in the Lincolnshire Premier League.

And she says that local training facilities helped to get her in shape to return to the international fold.

She added: "You do think, 'if I'm not going to do it now when will I do it?'. It takes a lot of fitness, you need to step up as soon as you consider the next level.

"Fortunately we've got a fantastic local leisure facility which means I don't have to travel to Loughborough to get the same level of training. That was a massive part of why it was feasible to even consider it."

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