When England's top female cricketers were pulled from domestic One-Day Cup matches last week for an army bootcamp, some fans raised eyebrows. But stand-in captain Charlie Dean is having none of it—she's defending the decision as a crucial team-building move that could pay off in a big way this summer.

The 15 players selected for the upcoming T20 World Cup swapped their whites for combat gear at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, missing a round of fixtures in the process. It wasn't the first time either—players had already skipped matches earlier in the season for training at Loughborough. But Dean insists the sacrifice is worth it.

"Missing a game or two doesn't feel like too much of a detriment when we really feel that was productive for us," Dean told BBC Sport. "We felt to get together as a T20 squad, that was something we needed to do. We've had some really productive conversations."

The timing makes sense. England haven't played a competitive match since October, spending the winter in internal training camps where competition for World Cup spots was fierce. "That pressure of trying to get into the squad creates a tough environment," Dean explained. "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."

Dean, who will become the 20th woman to lead England in a one-day international, takes the captain's armband for the first time in Sunday's series opener against New Zealand at Chester-le-Street. Regular skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt is sidelined with a calf injury, giving Dean a golden opportunity to showcase her leadership.

The concept of military-style bonding isn't new in cricket—England's men famously spent five days in Germany before their triumphant 2010-11 Ashes tour in Australia, a trip that included James Anderson getting his rib broken while sparring with fellow pace bowler Chris Tremlett. But for Dean and her squad, the goal is clear: "We want to win a World Cup—that's our goal this summer."