Nat Sciver-Brunt: England all-rounder on mental health break and the Ashes

Sciver-Brunt has played 210 times for England crossed each formats

Twice, unprompted, Nat Sciver-Brunt brings up her intelligence health.

The all-rounder has been England's stone for 10 years, ever the calmest successful immoderate crisis.

On and disconnected the tract she seldom gives thing distant - described by her much expressive woman Katherine arsenic the yin to her yang.

Last September, aft stepping up to pb England astatine the Commonwealth Games erstwhile skipper Heather Knight was injured, she decided to take a interruption for her intelligence health.

"It was thing I felt I needed due to the fact that of the six months to twelvemonth before," Sciver-Brunt says.

"Everything, not built up, but it did get connected apical of maine a small bit."

The archetypal nationalist motion she was struggling came erstwhile an overwhelmed and uncertain Sciver-Brunt gave an interrogation aft astir securing an unthinkable triumph for Trent Rockets against Southern Brave successful past September's Hundred eliminator.

Eight months on, she openly speaks astir her decision, a country of 5 journalists silently held by each word.

"I haven't watched the interrogation and I don't truly privation to," says Sciver-Brunt.

"I cognize what I said and I conjecture it was conscionable however I was feeling astatine the time. It was astir apt the archetypal interrogation successful the period I had been capable to get done without crying."

Live connected Sky Sports, Sciver-Brunt spoke astir the difficulties of beingness connected the treadmill of nonrecreational sport.

"Sometimes erstwhile you are astatine location for two, 3 days, reasoning astir putting the washing on, unpacking your container and repacking not agelong after, being capable to person immoderate things to assistance maine power disconnected and not deliberation astir what is coming up and enactment successful the infinitesimal a spot more... I find that rather hard," she said.

Six days later, Sciver-Brunt announced her break, ruling her retired of a bid against India.

The Hundred came astatine the extremity of an eight-month play wherever England amazingly missed retired connected a Commonwealth medal, mislaid a 50-over World Cup last successful New Zealand and were beaten by Australia successful the Ashes.

"I spoke to a objective scientist a mates of times and tried to bespeak connected particularly the Commonwealth Games and however that went and however that affected me, which was astir apt the main trigger for needing to spell home," says Sciver-Brunt.

"I did things that had been connected the to-do database for a year. Just beryllium blessed astatine home, bash mean things, mow the lawn, instrumentality the canine for a walk."

Sciver-Brunt, who volition play for Trent Rockets successful The Hundred again aboriginal this summer, has been an England regular since 2013.

For a generation, fans, commentators and pundits, and rather perchance players too, person thought: "Nat's inactive there. England volition beryllium OK."

That comes with its ain pressures.

"I person astir apt enactment that anticipation connected myself for a batch longer than you person been saying it," she says.

"That has been the relation I privation to play. I privation to beryllium successful the hard moments and impact the crippled each clip I americium touching the shot oregon immoderate it is.

"It is astir apt a small spot my ain responsibility arsenic well. It seemed to enactment astir times but not all."

Sciver-Brunt returned successful December and by February was dominating astatine different World Cup, albeit incapable to halt different disappointing semi-final exit by England.

Having averaged 72 with the bat successful South Africa, she past led Mumbai Indians to the rubric successful the Women's Premier League, winning the player-of-the-match grant successful the final.

Sciver-Brunt whitethorn person been signed for £320,000 - the second-highest interest for an overseas subordinate astatine the WPL - but she is arsenic measured disconnected the tract arsenic connected it.

"I've conscionable bought a caller telephone and a watch, not much," she says astir her caller earnings.

"I americium a spot choky really. I did get an Apple ticker arsenic good but that was from [Mumbai Indians owner] Mrs Ambani."

The adjacent situation for Sciver-Brunt is small implicit a period distant and is perchance the hardest successful immoderate sport.

The Ashes begins connected 22 June against Meg Lanning's Australia, who person won the past 4 World Cups and are unbeaten successful 4 Ashes series.

She volition besides beryllium competing without woman Katherine, who has retired from internationals.

Earlier this month, 20-year-old bowler Issy Wong boldly claimed this summertime is simply a "great time" to play Australia.

Whether it is Sciver-Brunt's omniscient head, oregon conscionable the quality successful 2 opposing personalities, the all-rounder struck a acold much measured code successful discussing England's chances.

"Since the [2022] Ashes successful my caput I person felt person [to Australia] than I person earlier successful presumption of skill," she says.

"It is conscionable whether we tin bash it successful the unit moments.

"In tournaments it goes the same. We bash truly well, there's a unit crippled [ending successful defeat] and from that you larn but you don't get to larn due to the fact that the tourney has finished."

Whether England tin halt Australia remains to beryllium seen.

With Sciver-Brunt successful a bully spot connected and disconnected the field, they volition astatine slightest person a chance.