The replacement for Heather Knight, who resigned after nine years as captain, has been announced by England. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) stated in a press release on Tuesday, April 29, that Nat Sciver-Brunt, England’s premier all-round player, has been named captain of the national women’s squad.
Following a string of disappointing outcomes, Knight was asked to resign as captain. After a lackluster T20 World Cup campaign in the United Arab Emirates last year, England lost to Australia 16-0 in the multi-format Women’s Ashes and failed to advance from the group stage. Due to that fiasco, head coach Jon Lewis also resigned; Charlotte Edwards, a former player, took his position.Since making her debut in 2013, Sciver-Brunt, 32, has solidified her all-format credentials throughout the past 12 years. In 2022 and 2023, she won the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year award, and in 2017 and 2022, she was named the PCA Player of the Year twice. The ICC Women’s ODI and T20 Teams of the Year in 2023 included Sciver-Brunt, who had an outstanding 2023 in both white-ball formats. She was the first player to reach 1000 runs in the Women’s Premier League and the first to score 500 runs in a single season.With 3811 runs at an average of 45.91 in ODI cricket, she is ranked third in the ICC batting rankings. She has served as Knight’s deputy for the past three years and was a member of the team that won the World Cup in 2017.
“I’m really proud to take on the role of captain of the England Women’s team and it’s an honour to have been asked by Charlotte, someone I’ve always looked up to,” Sciver-Brunt said of her selection. “I’ve wanted to do everything in my power to support the team ever since I made my England debut in 2013.” I’ll do everything in my ability to guide this group to success while encouraging them to reach their full potential.”We have a cohesive group with a lot of fantastic skill. Together, they can achieve great success, and I have faith in this team. Having enjoyed three years of working with Charlotte at the Mumbai Indians, it’s incredibly thrilling to be working with her again. “I’m thrilled to see where this partnership takes us, and her enthusiasm for the England Women’s team and her love of cricket are inspiring,” she continued.
In 2021, Sciver-Brunt captained England for the first time in the third Twenty20 International match against New Zealand. A year later, he was captain at the Commonwealth Games.Clare Connor, Managing Director of England Women’s Cricket, stated, “We are thrilled to have Nat as England Women’s captain and I know she’s excited about the honor of leading the team during an unprecedented chapter in international women’s cricket.”
“Nat is a terrific cricket player, as everyone knows, but her attributes go much beyond her on-field prowess. She is introspective, strong, and motivated to achieve her goals and those of others around her. In the group, Nat is well respected, and I have no doubt that she and Charlotte will have a successful and fascinating collaboration,” Connor continued.England’s home summer will begin on May 21 with the ODI and T20I series against the West Indies, marking the beginning of Sciver-Brunt’s term. Then, in the run-up to this year’s Women’s World Cup in September and October, they will host India for three ODIs and five T20Is.
