England Women’s head coach Charlotte Edwards has expressed strong confidence in her side’s ability to challenge tournament favorites like India in the upcoming ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, despite suffering recent white-ball defeats to the same opposition at home.
India’s historic series win not a “reality check”
Earlier this summer, India Women, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, made history by winning both the ODI and T20I series in England — a first for the team. While the results raised questions about England’s World Cup readiness, Edwards remained defiant.
“We were massively challenged (against India) and that’s how we want women’s cricket to be,” Edwards said on the BBC Stumped podcast.
“It wasn’t a reality check. We know we can beat India. We are going into a World Cup where we know if we play our best, we can beat any team.”
The 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, will run from September 30 to November 2, with eight teams playing in a round-robin format. England begins its campaign against South Africa on October 3, while the high-profile clash against India is set for October 19 in Indore.
England’s fielding remains under scrutiny
One key area of concern for England has been fielding standards. Several dropped catches against India sparked criticism, but Edwards was quick to defend her squad while acknowledging room for improvement.
“It is something we are working on. We know we have that tag now. Sometimes I get frustrated because we can drop one catch and we are labelled a bad fielding team, even though we have fielded really well otherwise,” she said.
“I am confident we can get to a place where people are talking really positively about our fielding.”
Injuries and leadership: Managing Nat Sciver-Brunt
Nat Sciver-Brunt, England’s captain and key all-rounder, has been battling a groin injury that kept her out of matches against India. This follows an earlier Achilles injury that limited her bowling role. Edwards emphasized the need to manage her recovery carefully.
“Nat is crucial but we are not putting pressure on her. We’ve got to get her right as a batter and a captain. She has had a lot thrown at her this summer and she has dealt with that so calmly.”
Sophie Ecclestone regains form ahead of the World Cup
Another key player returning to top form is Sophie Ecclestone, the world’s top-ranked ICC Women’s ODI bowler. Following a tough spell, the left-arm spinner is performing strongly in The Hundred, according to Edwards.
“We have Soph back smiling and enjoying cricket. She is going really well and performing well in The Hundred.”
World Cup momentum and mixed results
Edwards started her coaching stint with a clean sweep over the West Indies, but admitted that India posed a much tougher challenge. Nonetheless, she remains optimistic about England’s title hopes.
With experienced players like Sciver-Brunt and Ecclestone, and an increased focus on fitness and fielding, England will aim to bounce back and make a serious impact at the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup.
