England will not enforce World Cup social media banImage source, Getty ImagesByFfion WynneBBC Sport JournalistPublished1 hour agoEngland will not enforce a social media ban on their players during the Women’s T20 World Cup on home soil this summer, but players will be supported in navigating its challenges during the tournament. During England’s victorious campaign in the 50-over edition in 2017, the team agreed to come off social media platform X (Twitter at the time) but some still used Instagram. Current captain Nat Sciver-Brunt validated they will not have a team-wide policy for the upcoming tournament which starts on 12 June, saying the social media landscape is completely different for players of a younger generation.”If you asked some of our younger players to come off social media they would be like ‘What? Are you joking?'” Sciver-Brunt told BBC Sport. “But we have different ways of going about it now. I would leave it up to individuals to make their own choices but we have tools in place to make yourself feel as comfortable as you can with it. “Social media is such a big part of what we do now, so to ask that of the team would be a bit strange. But there’s always support out there for us to work out the best way of using our platforms and using it to support the team.”For most athletes, social media can be another source of income with brand deals and sponsorships, as well as using their following to promote events and tournaments. Sciver-Brunt was speaking at the unveiling of a billboard at London’s Piccadilly Circus, which features her image alongside Sophia Dunkley and Lauren Bell – another example of the game’s growth and visibility in comparison to nine years ago. Though the skipper accepts criticism and scrutiny is “part of the job” as a professional athlete, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) uses independent tech companies to monitor players’ accounts for harmful comments and also hide certain words or content from appearing on their feeds.”I don’t really remember social media taking over my life then,” she added, in reference to 2017. “But you spend so much time on your phone these days that it’s impossible not to see things. Personally, I wouldn’t read too many articles or comments. “Social media is something that can be really great if you are feeling good about yourself or playing well, but also it can be so negative on the flip side so I try to keep myself pretty level-headed about it.”Image source, Metro BankImage caption, England’s women’s cricketers star at the heart of a new campaign which aims to increase the visibility of women’s and girls’ cricket to help inspire the next generationSciver-Brunt fit for opener, but only to batAll-rounder Sciver-Brunt, 33, has missed all of England’s international summer so far because of a calf injury, but says she expects to be fit for the tournament opener against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston.She will also play in England’s two warm-up matches against India and Australia in Cardiff next week, but says she will not be bowling in those and will likely play as a specialist batter for most of the tournament. “Maybe further down the line in the tournament, I might need to get a few overs in,” she stated.”But we’ve got a bowling line-up that covers all bases, so I might not be needed but we will make a call on that further down the line.”Batting feels really good [in the nets], thankfully that is something that I have been able to do consistently so I’m really happy with where I’m at.” England ended their pre-World Cup summer with an eye-catching win against India on Tuesday, chasing 181 at Taunton to win the series, having previously beaten defending champions New Zealand.
After the game, head coach Charlotte Edwards validated Sciver-Brunt would be slotting back in at number three. Her inability to bowl suggests all-rounders Dani Gibson and Freya Kemp will retain their places, while Alice Capsey almost certainly validated her spot with her stunning 81 in the chase.
Given Capsey’s performances and Heather Knight’s return to form, opener Sophia Dunkley looks most vulnerable to make way for Sciver-Brunt.
Charlie Dean has stood in as captain, but the pair have been in regular communication and Sciver-Brunt praised her deputy’s performances in charge.
“She’s done a brilliant job,” added Sciver-Brunt. “I really wanted her to have this experience and use it for her own growth and development.
“It was really important for her to do it her way, because all captains have different styles, and not to think too much about how I would do things.”
