Nat Sciver to take break from cricket to focus on mental health and wellbeing

Amy Jones will lead England in Sciver's place during the series against India, which includes three T20Is and three ODIs

Nat Sciver is to take a break from cricket to focus on her mental health and wellbeing, ruling her out of the upcoming series against India.

Sciver had been due to captain England in the absence of Heather Knight, who is already missing with a hip-joint injury.

But the allrounder, who is a vital cog across all formats for England with bat and ball, has opted to step back from the game for the remainder of the international summer.

"I've played a lot of cricket over the last nine months and I am very emotionally fatigued," said Sciver, who handed over the captaincy of Trent Rockets to Elyse Villani towards the end of The Hundred.

"Elite sport demands a lot and for the moment I'm not able to perform without compromising my own wellbeing, so I need to take some time away from cricket in order to focus on myself. It's the right decision for me and it's the right decision for the team."

^{Sciver handed over the captaincy of Trent Rockets to Elyse Villani (David Rogers/Getty Images)}

Amy Jones will lead England in Sciver's place during the series against India, which includes three T20Is and three ODIs.

Jonathan Finch, director of England Women's cricket, added: "We fully support Nat and her decision to step away from this series. Cricket is important, but it is wholly insignificant in the context of an individual's health and happiness.

"The welfare of our players and staff is always our number one priority and we will support Nat throughout this period."

Plenty has been asked of the star allrounder in recent times, with her load heightened by Knight's injury, which meant Sciver captaining through the Commonwealth Games.

A replacement player will be named ahead of the second T20I, an England statement confirmed.

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