England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt is counting on her team’s strong spin bowling to kick off the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup with a win against South Africa. The opener takes place at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati.
Sciver-Brunt shared her thoughts on the pitch after watching the tournament’s first game. “I thought the wicket looked quite good,” she said. “In the Powerplay, it was fairly easy to score. But things got tougher in the middle overs, especially when the spinners stepped in.”
She explained how England plans to use this to their advantage. “That’s our blueprint when we bowl—we rely on the spinners to make it hard for opponents to score freely in the middle,” Sciver-Brunt told the ICC on Friday. “Our spin attack has been a real strength for years. We’ve got talented players with all sorts of skills, so picking our XI has been tough. We’re super excited.”
As she gets back to full fitness, Sciver-Brunt confirmed she’ll contribute with the ball as an all-rounder in the eight-team event. This lets England pack their lineup with seven batters. “It changes our balance a bit, so we can go deep with the batting,” she added.
The match against South Africa marks the first time former captain Heather Knight plays under Sciver-Brunt’s leadership. Sciver-Brunt plans to tap into Knight’s experience. “It would be silly not to listen to her,” she said. “Heather’s a key player with her batting and sharp cricket brain. I’m encouraging her to speak up. Anything that helps us win games, we’ll take it.”
Sciver-Brunt also praised England’s pre-World Cup camp in Abu Dhabi. It helped the team get ready for sub-continental conditions like those in India. “It was really valuable,” she noted. “We spent time in hot, humid weather—nothing like back home in England. It prepared us physically and sharpened our skills for different pitches.”
She stressed the importance of quick adaptation. “As a team, we’re focusing on communication so everyone can adjust fast. That’s going to be huge for our tournament success.”
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