England Women’s cricket team captain Nat Sciver-Brunt has departed the intra-squad training series in South Africa and returned home citing family reasons. Consequently, she is expected to be absent for the remainder of the tour, which was crucial preparation for the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England from June 12 to July 5. The England Cricket Board confirmed her departure in a statement.
The England squad had initially planned to travel to the UAE in March, but the trip was canceled due to escalating tensions in the region following US-Israeli air strikes on Iran and subsequent retaliatory actions by Iran. As an alternative, the team headed to Pretoria for an extended training program and a five-match intra-squad T20 series scheduled from March 10 to 27. This series was significant as England had not engaged in competitive cricket since October and had no international fixtures planned for the winter.
During the training camp, the players were divided into two squads competing in the T20 series. Team Heyhoe Flint, led by England vice-captain Charlie Dean, included seasoned players like former captain Heather Knight and top spinner Sophie Ecclestone, with guidance from England assistant coach Luke Williams. On the other hand, Team Brittin, captained by Sciver-Brunt, will now need a new leader for the remaining intra-squad matches after her departure midway through the series.
England finds itself in a challenging Group 2 in the Women’s T20 World Cup, set to face tough opponents like the West Indies, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Ireland during the group stage.
