Nat Sciver-Brunt's Injury Poses Challenge for England Before T20 World Cup
Nat Sciver-Brunt remains a significant fitness concern for England ahead of the upcoming home T20 World Cup after being ruled out of the series against New Zealand and India due to a calf injury.
The influential all-rounder initially missed the three one-day internationals against New Zealand because of what England described as a "minor tear" in her left calf.
However, a subsequent scan conducted on Monday revealed that the 33-year-old requires a "longer period of rehabilitation," with the World Cup scheduled to begin in less than a month.
As a result, Sciver-Brunt will be absent from the three T20 matches against world champions New Zealand, starting in Derby on Wednesday, as well as the three T20 matches against India that follow.
In her absence, off-spinner Charlie Dean will once again captain England.
England's management is not primarily concerned about Sciver-Brunt's availability for the World Cup itself but rather that the captain needs additional time to recover fully from the injury she sustained while playing for the Blaze against Warwickshire at the end of April.
Sciver-Brunt has remained with the squad during the one-day series against New Zealand, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
"Nat just needs a little bit more time to be in the best place she can be for the World Cup," said batter Sophia Dunkley in an interview with .
"We're really confident she'll be leading us out there and the flip side is it's a great opportunity for some of the girls to step up and get some game time. Everybody has to be ready to play if needed, anything can happen in a World Cup.
"We look forward to having Nat back with us when she's ready which looks to be really soon."
Despite the hope for her return, even if Sciver-Brunt is fit for the World Cup opener against Sri Lanka on 12 June at Edgbaston, she is likely to lack match practice, having played only twice since the Women's Premier League concluded in January.
Following the series against India, England will play two World Cup warm-up matches: against Australia in Cardiff on 8 June, and against India at the same venue on 10 June.
Additionally, opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge will miss the series against New Zealand due to the impending birth of her first child with her wife.
To cover for these absences, Hampshire's Maia Bouchier and Warwickshire's Charis Pavely have been added to the squad.
Charlie Dean will become the 11th woman to captain England in a T20 international when she leads the side against the Black Ferns on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old previously captained the side during the one-day series and had anticipated Sciver-Brunt's return for the T20 matches.
When asked if she was prepared to captain England at the World Cup if necessary, Dean said: "Captaining in the ODIs feels like brilliant timing, to get me that little bit of experience before the World Cup arrives.
"All being well, Nat will be perfectly fine. I have no doubts should anything arise, I feel like these games will grow my confidence even more to do the job at hand."
