From lowest point to new foundations
When Charlotte Edwards took charge of England’s women’s team in April, she inherited a group shattered by one of the lowest moments in their modern history — a 16-0 Ashes whitewash that prompted the removal of both head coach Jon Lewis and captain Heather Knight.
Confidence, she observed immediately, was in short supply.
“They were really low in confidence,” Edwards told BBC Sport. “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.”
But with England having no international matches scheduled until May — when they host New Zealand in a bilateral white-ball series — the winter has offered Edwards a rare window to rebuild.
Rather than rushing back into fixtures, England have organised three overseas training camps: Oman, South Africa, and finally the UAE, where the top 30 players in the country will compete in an intra-squad series. The objective is to blend experience with new blood and intensify the competition for places ahead of the home T20 World Cup in June.
Raising standards and re-earning respect
One of Edwards’ first priorities was instilling professionalism and accountability, especially around fitness — an area heavily criticised after the Ashes. Players were quickly given personal development plans, and clear expectations were set.
“Setting out some real clear professional standards that I expect and we expect as a group was really, really important,” she said.
The shift in standards yielded results almost immediately. Despite England falling short in the World Cup semi-final against South Africa, their fielding was widely praised.
“We were the best fielding team in the World Cup and to turn that around as quickly as we did from the Ashes is testament to the hard work the group has put in and the coaches as well,” she told BBC Sport.
Development camps signal future-focused approach
Edwards is using the current window not only to fine-tune the existing core but to assess the next generation up close. With many senior players away at the Women’s Premier League in India or resting after the WBBL, the Oman camp features rising stars like Kira Chathli, Tilly Corteen-Coleman, Jodi Grewcock, Rhianna Southby, and Charis Pavely, alongside previously capped youngsters such as Alice Capsey and Freya Kemp.
This culminates in a high-stakes intra-squad tournament in Abu Dhabi.
“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,” Edwards said.
She stressed the importance of internal competition and the message that no player should feel guaranteed a place.
“We’re trying to create that competitive edge now to our players so that it’s not all done and dusted who’s in the team,” she added. “I spoke to the players the other day about that. I said everyone in this room is in contention of playing at a World Cup. It doesn’t matter if you’re 18 or 35,” Edwards told BBC Sport.
Selection must be earned, not assumed
Edwards is facing a familiar challenge in elite sport — knowing when to refresh the squad while maintaining a competitive edge. While some selections may be influenced by gaps caused by injury or workload management, she is determined that all squad spots are decided on merit, not legacy.
“I don’t want easy selections. I want it to be hard. I want people to be banging on the door and saying ‘you’ve got to pick me’ and that’s hopefully where we’ll get to come to the end of Abu Dhabi,” she said.
As England gear up for a packed summer — starting with New Zealand in May and culminating in hosting the T20 World Cup — Edwards’ approach is clear: build a squad that’s not just prepared to compete, but to challenge each other every step of the way.
