England have suffered a setback in the lead-up to their T20I series opener against Pakistan. Star allrounder Nat Sciver-Brunt will miss the first game of the three-match series on Saturday (May 11).
England captain Heather Knight has revealed that Sciver-Brunt will be unavailable for selection for the first T20I after undergoing a minor medical procedure. Missing a player of Sciver-Brunt's stature can create headaches for teams but England seem to have a lot of faith in their young talent.
"Nat Sciver-Brunt is unavailable tomorrow. She'll be available for the next game. She's had a minor medical procedure, so this game tomorrow comes a little bit too soon for her," Knight was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
Knight lauded Dani Gibson and Freya Kemp for their recent performances and mentioned that they add plenty of all-round depth to the English squad.
"We obviously played those three T20s in New Zealand without her as well and without a few other players, so that gave us an opportunity to find out about a few people and add to our depth a little bit. There's some good young allrounders coming through.
"Dani Gibson has been impressive, particularly with the ball at the back end. Freya Kemp is obviously a massive clean ball-striker and a left-hander which we don't have a lot of in England, and when she's back bowling as well, she'll become a real asset.
"There's some really good talent coming through. It is just about guiding those younger players and keeping them on the right track to fulfil the potential that they have," Knight added.
Notably, England are the favourites leading into the series. They hammered the White Ferns 4-1 in their previous series in New Zealand and therefore are fairly confident of putting on a show at home.
On the contrary, Pakistan lost a five-match T20I series at home against West Indies recently and will expectedly be under the pump coming into the series against England.
England have the wood over Pakistan in T20Is. They have won 14 out of the 15 games that they have played against Pakistan and have suffered a solitary loss.
England women vs Pakistan women T20I series live telecast and streaming details
Where to watch the England women vs Pakistan women T20I series on TV?
The England women vs Pakistan women T20I series will be telecast live on the Sony Sports Ten 5 channel.
Where to watch the England women vs Pakistan women T20I series online?
The England women vs Pakistan women T20I series will be streamed live on the SonyLIV app and website.
