Dean defends England missing games for army camp

Stand-in captain Charlie Dean has defended the decision for England’s players to miss domestic matches for an army bootcamp, saying it was needed for the squad to “gel together”.

The 15 players in England’s squad for the T20 World Cup were withdrawn from last week’s round of fixtures in the One-Day Cup to attend the camp at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Players also missed One-Day Cup matches earlier in the season for England training at Loughborough.

On the time with the British Army, Dean told BBC Sport: “Missing a game or two doesn’t feel like too much of a detriment when we really feel like that was productive for us.

“We feel to get together as a T20 squad, that was something we needed to do. We’ve had some really productive conversations.”

England have not played competitively since October, with time since then spent in internal training camps in preparation for the T20 World Cup they are hosting this summer.

England will return to action on Sunday at Chester-le-Street in the first of three one-day internationals against New Zealand, with Dean deputising as England captain for the first time because Nat Sciver-Brunt is nursing a calf injury.

“We’ve had camps throughout the winter where we’ve probably been fighting for places,” said Dean.

“That pressure of trying to get into the squad for the T20 World Cup creates a tough environment. We felt we really needed to gel together and move forward as one.

“The camp has allowed that to happen, to really get some group cohesion. We want to win a World Cup – that’s our goal this summer.”

England’s men have previously held bonding trips in the build-up to away Ashes series.

Before the successful Ashes tour of Australia in 2010-11, England spent five days in Germany, when James Anderson had his rib broken boxing against fellow pace bowler Chris Tremlett.

Three years later, a mock surveillance exercise in Staffordshire was the beginning of a 5-0 humiliation down under.

On this occasion, Dean said England’s women were involved in “a bit of running, burpees, press-ups and getting yelled at”.

The 25-year-old added: “It was just a different training environment. Something that pushed us but also brought us closer together.

“Everyone really bought into it. We had a calm day on the Thursday, then Friday morning felt really different – running down to join the troops.

“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.”

Off-spinner Dean will become the 20th woman to lead England in an ODI after all-rounder Sciver-Brunt was ruled out of the entire series.

The captain’s absence has been described as precautionary and she is expected to return for the three-match T20 series against the White Ferns, beginning on 20 May.

“Nat’s good,” said Dean. “She’s with us in Durham doing little bits of training. Her injury isn’t too bad.

“It feels good we can work so closely and hopefully make that transition really smooth.

“Captaining these ODIs feels like brilliant timing to get me that little bit of experience before the World Cup arrives.”

With Sciver-Brunt injured, Alice Capsey ill, Tammy Beaumont left out of the squad, Sophia Dunkley rested and Danni Wyatt-Hodge absent because of the imminent arrival of her first child, the England XI in Durham will have a fresh look.

Emma Lamb could join Amy Jones at the top of the order while batters Jodi Grewcock and Kira Chathli, along with 18-year-old spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman, are all in the squad and may be in line for England debuts.