Nat Sciver-Brunt, the newly appointed captain of the England women’s cricket team, has expressed that her squad feels “chalk and cheese” compared to their emotional state following the heavy defeat in the Ashes series earlier this year. As the team prepares for their World Cup campaign, Sciver-Brunt is confident in their progress and readiness for the challenges ahead.
Sciver-Brunt recently overcame an Achilles injury that had sidelined her since the Ashes, and she is now fully fit to bowl. Her return to form could not have arrived at a better time. She’ll be taking England into her first World Cup, which begins with a game against South Africa in Guwahati on Friday. This opportunity comes on the heels of her leadership debut after the team’s dismal 16-0 thrashing by Australia.
Looking back on the Ashes tour, Sciver-Brunt commented on the toxic environment that engulfed the squad during that time. She conveyed that at the time, “England was literally in a position where they could do nothing right.” She went on to illustrate morale in the squad as “huge[ly] negative.” What she sees, a little more than two years since the settlement, is tremendous progress, on and off the field.
England, under her new captaincy, powered to comprehensive white-ball series victories over the West Indies. This clean sweep was a stunning start to her administration. Sciver-Brunt’s leadership has seen her team win against strong opponents, including New Zealand in two unofficial warm-up matches, as well as defeating tournament favorites India and Australia in their preparation for the World Cup.
“Everyone feels really relaxed and feels pretty confident in what we’ve done in terms of the preparation,” Sciver-Brunt remarked, highlighting a renewed spirit within the squad as they approach their World Cup opener.
As the ultimate all-rounder, Sciver-Brunt said she was excited to play a leading role now that she’s back to full health. “I’m excited to be able to play a full part as an all-rounder again, to be honest,” she said. To improve on her already stellar performance, she plans to do so by being more aggressive on the ball and the offensive side of the game. “That’s how I always want to play, to try and take things on in all three departments, so that’ll be adding another string to my bow,” she added.
Leave a Reply