Amy Jones has expressed complete confidence in Charlie Dean's ability to captain England in the upcoming T20 World Cup, should Nat Sciver-Brunt be unavailable for the start of the tournament. Sciver-Brunt missed the recent series victory over New Zealand due to a tear in her left calf and has also been ruled out of the three-match series against India, which begins at Chelmsford on Thursday.
England remain optimistic about the 33-year-old's recovery, but with the tournament opener against Sri Lanka scheduled for June 12, there is little room for any further setbacks. Sciver-Brunt's match-winning abilities with the bat are nearly irreplaceable, but wicketkeeper Jones has full faith in Dean, who has already stepped up as captain in her absence.
"Nat has been around the group, leading in her own way off the field and in meetings, but Charlie has been brilliant in the way she's stepped up and led the group," Jones said. "She's been outstanding, so that's been pretty seamless. Hopefully, when Nat is ready, she comes back, and it will be more of the same. We've got full confidence in Charlie whenever she needs to step up and captain, and we know she'll do an amazing job. Dani Gibson as vice-captain has shown some great leadership qualities too... the leadership group have it all in hand."
After defeating New Zealand 2-1 in their recent series, England now face a sterner test against India, who are considered one of the tournament favourites. India sit just behind second-placed England in the ICC rankings and secured an impressive 3-2 victory when the sides met in England last summer.
"A hard-fought series with New Zealand, then hopefully another good battle with India, is excellent preparation," Jones added. "Hopefully, we can get on top, but we'll also take a lot of learnings into the tournament having played some high-pressure games that will stand us in good stead."
Danni Wyatt-Hodge has rejoined the squad after her partner gave birth to their first child but will not be available until the second game in Bristol. This opens up another opportunity for Alice Capsey at the top of the order, where she could put pressure on Sophia Dunkley for a starting spot.
