Nat Sciver-Brunt named England Women's captain following Heather Knight's departure

Nat Sciver-Brunt has been named as Heather Knight's successor as captain of England Women's cricket team, the ECB has confirmed.

Knight left her role after a near nine-year tenure following England's dismal 16-0 Women's Ashes series defeat, with Sciver-Brunt now leading in all three formats alongside new head coach Charlotte Edwards.

Sciver-Brunt has been an integral part of England's set-up since making her debut in 2013 and was part of the team that won the 2017 World Cup, with the 32-year-old playing 259 times for England across formats to date.

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• England women's cricket results and fixtures 2025
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"I'm really proud to take on the role of captain of the England Women's team and it's an honour to have been asked by Charlotte, someone I've always looked up to," said Sciver-Brunt, who served the previous three years as vice-captain.

"Ever since I made my England debut back in 2013, all I have wanted to do is help the team in every way that I can. I will try my best to lead this team to success, whilst empowering them to be the best version of themselves.

"We have a really talented group and we have a group that's united. It's a team I believe in and a team that can have a lot of success together.

"It's hugely exciting to be working with Charlotte, having had the pleasure of working with her in the last three years at Mumbai Indians. Her love of cricket and passion for the England Women's team is inspiring and I'm excited to see where this partnership leads us."

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Sciver-Brunt captained her country for the first time in international cricket for the third IT20 match against New Zealand in 2021 and also took charge for the Commonwealth Games in 2022.

She won the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year for 2022 and 2023 and was part of the ICC Women's ODI and T20 Teams of the Year in 2023, with the all-rounder currently No 3 in ICC world batting rankings in ODI cricket.

Most recently, Sciver-Brunt ended the 2025 Women's Premier League in India with 523 runs, becoming the first player to accumulate more than 500 runs in a single season. She also became the first to score 1,000 runs in the WPL.

"We are delighted to have appointed Nat as England Women's captain and I know she's excited about the honour of leading the team during an unprecedented chapter in international women's cricket," said Clare Connor, managing director of England Women's cricket.

"Everyone knows what a fantastic cricketer Nat is but her qualities extend far beyond her skills on the pitch. She's thoughtful, resilient and driven by getting the best out of herself and everyone around her."

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Greenway: Sciver-Brunt decision a 'no-brainer'

Former England cricket Lydia Greenway, who won two World Cups and four Ashes series in a 13-year career, has backed Sciver-Brunt as the new skipper.

"I think Sciver-Brunt would have been the name most people would pick," Greenway said on Sky Sports News.

"You only have to look at the experience that she's got. She's played over 250 times for England across all formats, and she's without a doubt England's best batter. From that point of view, it was a no-brainer.

"From a leadership perspective, she's been vice-captain alongside Heather Knight for several years and has worked with Charlotte Edwards before, and with those two as a duo, I think people should be really excited."

Greenway also said it will take time for the England team to adjust to the changes before they begin to see results, as the team looks to recover from the 16-0 Ashes whitewash.

"I was part of the Mumbai Indians coaching staff when Edwards was head coach with Nat Sciver-Brunt playing, and I liked the dynamic between the two," Greenway added.

"Sciver-Brunt is the sort of character who takes things in her stride. That was one of the noticeable things that I saw when she first came into the side.

"She was a very calm sort of character, and nothing fazed her too much, so I'm sure that'll be one of her characteristics as a leader moving forward.

"We've got a new head coach now and a new captain, and I think for any sport, when you're at your lowest, that's often the chance for change to happen, that's something that Edwards will bring.

"I think she will bring a new culture to the side with higher expectations and higher standards.

"Naturally, you would think that would bring about improvements because it's a big year for the side.

"We need to give Edwards and Sciver-Brunt some time to embed themselves in. Of course, we would like to see some success out in India [at the 50-over World Cup], but I think we also need to appreciate that it doesn't happen overnight."

England Women's summer fixtures

All times UK and Ireland; all games live on Sky Sports

T20 international series vs West Indies (May)

• First T20: Wednesday May 21 (6.30pm) - Canterbury
• Second T20: Friday May 23 (6.35pm) - Hove
• Third T20: Monday May 26 (2.30pm) - Chelmsford

One-day international series vs West Indies (May-June)

• First ODI: Friday May 30 (1pm) - Derby
• Second ODI: Wednesday June 4 (1pm) - Leicester
• Third ODI: Saturday June 7 (11am) - Taunton

T20 international series vs India (June-July)

• First T20: Saturday June 28 (2.30pm) - Trent Bridge
• Second T20: Tuesday July 1 (6.30pm) - Bristol
• Third T20: Friday July 4 (6.35pm) - The Kia Oval
• Fourth T20: Wednesday July 9 (6.30pm) - Emirates Old Trafford
• Fifth T20: Saturday July 12 (6.35pm) - Edgbaston

One-day international series vs India (July)

• First ODI: Wednesday July 16 (1pm) - Southampton
• Second ODI: Saturday July 19 (11am) - Lord's
• Third ODI: Tuesday July 22 (1pm) - Chester-le-Street

Watch every England Women's cricket match this summer live on Sky Sports, starting with the T20 series against West Indies from May 21. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.