Nat Sciver-Brunt's Mental Health Break: A Conversation Cricket Needed

In May 2022, Nat Sciver — at the time England Women's most important all-rounder and one of women's cricket's global stars — withdrew from England's upcoming cricket commitments, citing the need to step away to protect her mental wellbeing. The withdrawal came in the middle of what was already a packed international schedule.

The announcement was initially terse and deliberately private. Sciver and her partner Katherine Brunt — also an England cricketer — had discussed her wellbeing extensively, and the decision to withdraw was deliberate rather than a crisis response. She returned to competitive cricket several months later.

The public and media response was broadly supportive — both within cricket and in the broader sporting context where mental health awareness had been growing significantly since Naomi Osaka's withdrawal from the 2021 French Open. But within cricket, the conversation the incident generated was substantive and necessary.

England Cricket conducted an internal review of the fixtures density for women's cricketers — a schedule that had expanded dramatically as women's cricket grew in commercial and competitive prominence without always accounting for the physical and emotional toll on players who were adapting to increased demands.

The review identified that England Women were playing significantly more cricket than in previous generations, with fewer formal rest and recovery periods. Support structures — sports psychologists, welfare officers, access to mental health resources — were also found to be below what the expanding professional game required.

Sciver's willingness to speak publicly about her experience — after initially keeping the reasons private — gave the conversation weight that anonymous cases could not. Her honesty helped other cricketers feel more comfortable acknowledging mental health challenges.

“I needed to step away and look after myself. That was the most important thing. Cricket is my life but it's not more important than my life. I'm glad I did it and I'm grateful for the support I received.”

“The wellbeing of our players is the absolute priority. We support Nat completely and this has prompted us to look carefully at our support structures across the women's game.”

Sciver returned as England Women's most important player. She was subsequently appointed England Women's captain. Her willingness to share her experience contributed to cricket's broader cultural shift on mental health openness — other players from multiple nations followed with their own disclosures.