Natalie Sciver-Brunt is just high-class player: Nasser Hussain's high praise for top-ranked batter, all-rounder
Aug 08, 2023
Dubai [UAE], August 8 : Former England captain Nasser Hussain was impressed with Natalie Sciver-Brunt's performance in the recent Ashes series against Australia and said the top-ranked batter and all-rounder in women's ODI ranking continues to be underrated somewhat as a player and thinks Ecclestone is still on the improve and only going to get better.
Sciver-Brunt was named England's Player of the Series against Australia, while star spinner Sophie Ecclestone claimed 10 wickets during the one-off Test and proved a constant threat for the opposition batters throughout the white-ball matches.
"Nat Sciver-Brunt is just a high-class player, a high-class individual and, in big moments, even in losing big moments against Australia at the 50-over World Cup and 20-over World Cup in the final, she is smashing it everywhere," Hussain said in the latest episode of The ICC Review.
"She never knows when to give up. She has long levers. She has great awareness of the field and where to hit some of her slog sweeps over wide mid-wicket. A great all-rounder and an outstanding cricketer.
The pair dominate the current ICC Women's Player Rankings, with Sciver-Brunt holding the premier spot for both ODI batters and all-rounders and Ecclestone leading the way as the No.1 bowler in ODI and T20I cricket.
"And Sophie Ecclestone has been there for England...she's only still young. She is very accurate. Never bowls bad deliveries. In red-ball cricket, she can go past the outside edge.
"In white-ball cricket, often people play for the turn. But a little bit like Rashid Khan or something, it's actually stump-to-stump LBW and bowled in white-ball cricket. She brings in the stumps in white-ball cricket and she can bat as well and she is very good in the field.
"She took some good catches, some very fine catches in that Ashes series. So she's developing a little bit like Nat Sciver-Brunt into a genuine all-rounder.
England showed their class by winning both the ODI and T20I components of the multi-format Ashes on home soil last month and defeat in the one-off Test in June meant the topsy-turvy series ended tied at eight points apiece as Australia retained the trophy for a fifth straight series.
