Nat Sciver-Brunt ruled out of India, New Zealand T20Is due to calf injury
London, May 19
England Women's captain Nat Sciver-Brunt has been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against India and New Zealand as she continues rehabilitation from a calf injury, the England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed on social media.
Sciver-Brunt is currently recovering from a sustained calf tear and will continue her rehab programme, ruling her out of both assignments.
In her absence, Maia Bouchier and Charis Pavely have been added to the squad for the New Zealand T20 series as cover options. The ECB also confirmed that Danni Wyatt-Hodge will miss the New Zealand Vitality IT20 series due to the imminent birth of her first child.
"England Women's captain Nat-Sciver-Brunt has been ruled out of the India and New Zealand squads as she continues to rehab a sustained calf tear. Maia Bouchier and Charis Pavely have been called up to the New Zealand series T20 squads as cover. Danni Wyatt-Hodge will also miss the New Zealand Vitality IT20 series with the birth of her first child imminent," England Cricket wrote on X.
Bouchier had earlier been drafted into the ODI squad as cover for injured captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and made an immediate impact, top-scoring with 59 in the opening match in Durham, which England won. She was also included in the XI for the rain-affected second ODI in Northampton before being left out for Jodi Grewcock in the third game in Cardiff, where New Zealand secured a DLS victory to level the series 1-1.
Charis Pavely was also brought into the ODI setup as batting cover for Alice Capsey, who was sidelined due to illness, but did not feature in the playing XI. However, Pavely has impressed in domestic cricket, scoring two centuries and three half-centuries in her first eight matches of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup season.
England's ODI and T20 squads have been heavily affected by injuries, with Mahika Gaur and Em Arlott ruled out of the 50-over series due to a foot fracture and concussion, respectively. Issy Wong also missed the ODI series after suffering a hamstring injury during the warm-up ahead of the first match, though she remains available for selection for the game in Derby.
Sciver-Brunt, meanwhile, has also endured injury setbacks in recent times. She did not bowl throughout last summer while managing a long-standing Achilles issue, before returning as an all-rounder during the ODI World Cup last year.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Feel bad for Nat, injuries are always tough. But this is a great opportunity for Maia Bouchier to shine - she already showed her class with that 59 in the ODI. Also interesting to see Charis Pavely getting a chance, her domestic form has been outstanding 🔥
Honestly, England's injury list is looking like a hospital ward these days! 🤕 Gaur, Arlott, Wong, and now Sciver-Brunt. Hope they recover soon - we want to see full-strength England when India tours. But this is a big chance for our bowlers to test themselves against a depleted side.
Tough break for England, but credit to ECB for managing Nat's workload properly. She's been struggling with that Achilles issue for ages, so better to rest now than risk long-term damage. Looking forward to seeing how Pavely goes - 2 centuries and 3 fifties in 8 matches is serious form!
This is disappointing because India vs England women's matches are always so competitive. Nat Sciver-Brunt has scored some crucial runs against us in the past. But seriously, ECB should look into why so many players are getting injured - is it workload management or just bad luck? 🤔
M Michael C (from London) As an English supporter, this is devastating. Nat is our best all-rounder. But every cloud has a silver lining - gives us a chance to test our bench strength. Bouchier looked promising in the ODIs. Hope Nat recovers fully for the Ashes! We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.