England's T20 World Cup hopes have been boosted by the return of captain Nat Sciver-Brunt from a calf injury, though head coach Charlotte Edwards has confirmed the all-rounder is unlikely to bowl during the tournament. Sciver-Brunt, 33, tore her calf in April while playing in the domestic Women's One-Day Cup, causing her to miss recent series against New Zealand and India.
Despite the injury, Sciver-Brunt remains England's second-highest run-scorer in women's Twenty20 internationals with 2,960 runs and their fourth-highest wicket-taker with 90 wickets in 137 matches. Edwards told Sky Sports: 'It is obviously really good for us that Nat is coming back into the team and hitting the ball well. She is fine and ready to go. She probably won't bowl but her batting is something that she is best in the world at.'
Edwards also confirmed Sciver-Brunt's preferred batting position: 'She wants to bat number three. She has done very well in global franchises there and that's where she wants to be. It's important she bats where she wants.' The head coach also praised former captain Heather Knight, whose unbeaten 70 in the third T20I against India helped England chase down 181 and win the series 2-1.
'It's been quite interesting listening to some of the press this week,' Edwards told BBC Sport. 'I think the more that people have been writing her off, the more I just knew she was going to put in a performance like this.' Edwards added that there were 'no doubts in our dressing room about Heather'.
England will play warm-up matches against Australia and India next week before opening their World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka on June 12 in Birmingham.
