Nat Sciver-Brunt: England players supported using social media during T20 World Cup

England will not impose a social media ban on its players during the Women’s T20 World Cup on home soil this summer, but players will be helped navigate its challenges during the tournament.

During England’s victorious campaign in the 50-over edition in 2017, the team agreed to exit social media platform X (Twitter at the time) but some still used Instagram.

Current captain Nate Syver-Brant confirmed they will not have a team-wide policy for the upcoming tournament, which starts on June 12, saying the social media landscape is completely different for the younger generation of players.

“If you ask some of our young players to get off social media they’ll be like ‘What? Are you kidding?'” Syver-Brant told BBC Sport.

“But we have different ways of going about it now. I’ll leave it up to individuals to make their own choices but we have the tools to be as comfortable as you can be with it.

“Social media is a big part of what we do now, so it would be a bit strange to ask the team. But we always have the support to use our platforms and create the best way to use it to support the team.”

For most athletes, social media can be another source of income with brand deals and sponsorships, as well as using their following to promote events and tournaments.

Sciver-Brunt was speaking as she unveiled a billboard at London’s Piccadilly Circus, which features her image alongside Sophia Dunkley and Lauren Bell – another example of the game’s growth and visibility compared to nine years ago.

Although the captain accepts criticism and being scrutinized as a professional athlete is “part of the job”, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) uses independent technology companies to monitor players’ accounts for harmful comments and hide certain words or content from appearing in their feeds.

“I don’t really remember social media taking over my life back then,” he added, referring to 2017.

“But you spend so much time on your phone these days that it’s impossible not to see things. Personally, I don’t read many articles or comments.

“Social media is something that can be really great if you’re feeling good about yourself or playing well, but on the flip side it can be so negative so I try to keep a pretty level head about it.”