England stand-in captain Charlie Dean has defended the decision for players to miss domestic One-Day Cup fixtures in favour of a military-style bonding camp ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, insisting the experience helped strengthen the squad before a crucial summer on home soil.
England’s 15-member World Cup squad withdrew from last week’s domestic matches to attend a bootcamp at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Earlier in the season, players had also missed One-Day Cup fixtures because of England training camps at Loughborough, prompting discussion around preparation priorities ahead of the World Cup.
Dean, who will captain England for the first time in ODIs during the upcoming series against New Zealand, said the camp had been important in bringing the group together after months of internal competition for places in the World Cup squad. “We feel to get together as a T20 squad, that was something we needed to do. We’ve had some really productive conversations,” Dean said.
England Women have not played competitive cricket since October, instead spending the winter in training camps and preparation blocks ahead of the T20 World Cup in England later this year. According to Dean, the pressure of selection battles created a difficult environment during the off-season, making team bonding especially important before the international summer begins.
The Sandhurst camp involved physically demanding military-led exercises, including endurance drills and team-building sessions designed to push players outside their comfort zones. Dean admitted the experience quickly became more serious than many initially expected. “It was a bit of a shock to the system, and a few giggles were erased pretty quickly once we got a talking to. We knew this was something we had to crack on with,” she said.
England’s management viewed the camp as an opportunity to improve group cohesion before the World Cup, with players encouraged to work together in unfamiliar situations away from cricket. Similar bonding exercises have previously been used by England Men before major overseas tours, particularly Ashes campaigns.
The ODI series against New Zealand will also give England a chance to test squad depth after several absences disrupted selection plans. Regular captain Nat Sciver-Brunt has been ruled out of the ODI leg because of a calf injury, though the issue has been described internally as precautionary and she is expected to return for the T20Is later this month. “Nat’s good. She’s with us in Durham doing little bits of training. Her injury isn’t too bad,” Dean said.
England will also be without Alice Capsey due to illness, while Sophia Dunkley has been rested. Tammy Beaumont was omitted from the squad and Danni Wyatt-Hodge remains unavailable ahead of the birth of her first child. Those absences could open opportunities for younger players including Jodi Grewcock, Kira Chathli and 18-year-old spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman, all of whom are in contention to make their England debuts during the New Zealand series.
Dean acknowledged that leading the side in Sciver-Brunt’s absence could prove valuable experience ahead of the World Cup later this year. “Captaining these ODIs feels like brilliant timing. It gives me that little bit of experience before the World Cup arrives,” she said.
England begin their international summer against New Zealand at Chester-le-Street on Sunday as preparations intensify for the home T20 World Cup, where the hosts are aiming to challenge for a first global title since 2017.
(Quotes sourced from BBC Sport)
Loves all things female cricket