Nat Sciver-Brunt, England’s captain in all formats of the game, is set to miss the remainder of the T20 series against India. Then her groin gave out on the second game. The 32-year-old captain took the leadership for the England team in April. He was not available to play in Friday’s third T20 match, which England won by five runs to take the series 2-1.
Sciver-Brunt’s leadership comes on the heels of a difficult period for the England women’s team, which faced a disappointing 16-0 defeat in Australia under the previous captain, Heather Knight. Since taking over, Sciver-Brunt to recharge the team and has gotten an opportunity already to build through both hill climbs and breakthroughs.
In England’s T20 series against India, it was the back-to-back losses that proved fatal. They regrouped and pulled off a close win in the most recent match. This victory is emblematic of the team at large—special. It lifts their morale right ahead of the three-match ODIs beginning on 16 July. Having missed the T20 matches, Sciver-Brunt is likely to return in time for the ODIs. This return will make her central to this experienced team’s preparations for this autumn’s 50-over World Cup.
The injury couldn’t have come at a worse moment in the series. England are looking to find their feet as they look forward to moving from T20s to ODIs. Sciver-Brunt’s leadership style and strategic acumen have proven to be critical assets to the team’s success. Her absence now raises deep questions about how this squad, and this team’s identity, will adjust without her.
The final fulfilment of England’s own five-match T20 series against India brings an end to their scheduled matches in the format. Now, they’ll turn their attention to the more longer 50-over format. As the team prepares to head into the World Cup, they’ll need to draw on that resilience. Beyond that, they will have to respond to the challenges presented by injuries and performance variation.
Leave a Reply