Charlotte Edwards, the newly appointed head coach of the England women’s cricket team, took over last April. Since then, she has undertaken a remarkable personal transformation. She inherited a squad that was struggling, likely at the lowest point in its storied history. Edwards isn’t going down without a fight and is intent on restoring the heart of this team. She’s made a number of impressive moves to raise performance and adopt an attitude of accountability.
As new head coach, Edwards immediately realized that the culture of the team required a change on and off the court. To solve the issue of high fitness levels she introduced minimum fitness standards for the players, making it clear that physical condition is key. “Setting out some real clear professional standards that I expect and we expect as a group was really, really important,” Edwards stated, underlining her commitment to improving the team’s overall performance.
As a coach Edwards emphasizes personal responsibility for players and creating accountability, and values her players’ productivity on the field.
Personal plans
She has developed individual development plans for each team member. These plans will ensure they are able to make it through and meet the new rigorous standards. Edwards noted that her desire for players is to come out with a vicious competitive nature. She imagines a time, by the end of Abu Dhabi, when everyone will be beating down the door, begging, “You have to choose me,” at the end of Abu Dhabi.
Edwards, who as of this writing has a slate of nearly 30 players, They’re preparing to head off and contest an Intra-Squad Series against their teammates in the United Arab Emirates. This arrangement will enable her to cast her scouting net wider and identify the next generation of players who will pull on an England jersey. “We’re going to be putting the best against the best and we’ll get a very, very clear indication of where that next group of players are,” she explained.
Of that bunch, Edwards is especially interested in creating a “bowling all-rounder” to deepen their resources and flexibility on the field. She has set her sights on a number of players with earned experience. Among them is Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Issy Wong, Mahika Gaur, Emma Lamb, Danielle Gibson, Freya Kemp, Em Arlott and Lauren Filer. Edwards sees the individual magic every player can add to the team and is hungry to tap into it.
Her personal agenda, above all else, is to breed a future-oriented mentality in the department. Most recently, she sent a strong message to her players for their chances to compete in future high-stakes competitions, such as World Cups. I told the players the other day – as we were playing that game. I told them that each one of them in this room is like a candidate to playing at a World Cup. It doesn’t make a difference if you’re 18 or 35,” she continued. Widening participation This popular, inclusive approach helps encourage players of all ages and abilities to push themselves to reach their potential.
Perhaps most importantly, Edwards recognizes the emotional toll of these fights lost. The reportedly brutal Ashes series down under put the sword to many key players. “That was probably the one thing that really stood out and that Ashes down under was a really hard one to get over for some of the players,” she reflected on the impact of previous performances.
As she guides the team into this new chapter, Charlotte Edwards is keen to continue the same transparency with selections. She has made it clear that she will not accept “low-hanging fruit,” making sure that performance based criteria drives team selection. Edwards is committed to developing a deep, tough-minded, and athletic team. Through these efforts, she wants them to be the success stories that compete effectively on the international stage.
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