For Nat Sciver, getting her battery back to full capacity again is so important: Lydia Greenway

Chester-le-Street: Former England batter Lydia Greenway firmly believes the side needs pace all-rounder Nat Sciver at her best, which is why she getting her battery back to 100 per cent capacity becomes very important.

Earlier on Thursday, Nat withdrew from the England squad for the series against India to focus on her mental health and wellbeing. Wicketkeeper Amy Jones is captaining England in the T20I series against India in Nat’s absence.

Nat herself was a stand-in captain with regular skipper Heather Knight out due to hip injury which needed surgery.

“Just her being able to have the chance to plug herself in and get her battery back to full capacity again is so important. It isn’t necessarily those game days that causes these rests, it’s everything else that goes with that, so how do we manage that better as well?” said Lydia during the first T20I at Durham, where England won convincingly by nine wickets.

Nat had a busy 2022, featuring in 30 matches this year, including the women’s T20 event at Birmingham Commonwealth Games, ODI World Cup in New Zealand, where England came runners-up, the women’s Ashes Tour to Australia and an all-format series against South Africa apart from domestic events like Charlotte Edwards Cup and The Hundred.

“I’ve played a lot of cricket over the last nine months and I am very emotionally fatigued. Elite sport demands a lot and for the moment I’m not able to perform without compromising my own wellbeing, so I need to take some time away from cricket in order to focus on myself. It’s the right decision for me and it’s the right decision for the team,” Nat had said on Thursday over withdrawing from the series against India.

Nat had got full support from ECB in keeping her mental health and well-being first over playing the series against India. “We fully support Nat and her decision to step away from this series. Cricket is important, but it is wholly insignificant in the context of an individual’s health and happiness. The welfare of our players and staff is always our number one priority and we will support Nat throughout this period,” said Jonathan Finch, Director of England Women’s Cricket.

A replacement player in Nat’s absence will be named in the England squad ahead of the second T20I at Derby on Tuesday, with the hosts leading the three-match series 1-0.

–IANS