Five ways ‘proven winner' Charlotte Edwards can revive England Women

Telegraph

06-04-2025

The day after being announced as England Women's new head coach, Charlotte Edwards was laying out her coaching mantra to assembled media at Lord's.
With her proven track record, Edwards was the obvious candidate to lift England after they hit rock-bottom with a 16-0 Women's Ashes defeat in Australia – a humbling that resulted in both coach Jon Lewis and captain Heather Knight being sacked.
Laura MacLeod, who played 13 Test matches and 73 one-day internationals for England between 1997 and 2007 alongside Edwards, explains: 'Lottie is unique, she's one of a kind. I think there's probably nobody who will ever get near her journey, her playing experience, her coaching experience and I think she is the perfect [appointment].'
At her first press conference, Edwards discussed making players 'more accountable' for their fitness, urging them to earn a place in the side by playing county cricket, and ditching the previous 'inspire and entertain' style in favour of winning.
To understand further how Edwards can revive this England team, Telegraph Sport spoke to those who played with and have been coached by her.
Demanding high standards
Edwards spoke about making sure players take accountability and Emily Windsor, who played in her Southern Vipers side, knows exactly what the new coach will demand of the players.
'What you see with Lottie is what you get,' Windsor explains to Telegraph Sport from an event at Lord's to launch the new domestic season. 'She'll turn up to training day in and day out, she'll give everything for the team and for the group, and then that motivates you.
'But she's also not afraid – if you're not meeting standards – to let you know and have those difficult conversations. I think she's going to be very good for this English team.'
MacLeod believes Edwards will not shy away from making changes should the standards she sets not be met. 'Anybody who is going to be led by her [Edwards] that doesn't want to improve, I don't think they will survive too long,' she says.
'She will set down what she expects in terms of professionalism and accountability towards those standards. They will be really strong and tough. I don't think she'll be frightened of making some additional changes.'
Making winning the priority
England cultivated a relaxed environment under Lewis, but Edwards has already said that the focus will be on winning more than inspiring or entertaining. The side may showcase a very different style of cricket in the summer.
'If you look at the way that Lottie sets up a team, it is very functional, it's very proven based on a lot of proven performers mixed with blooding of high-potential, highly talented players. It is that kind of notion to get across the line,' MacLeod says.
'Sometimes it's not the most attractive of games or styles of play, but it is bloody effective and her record shows that.'
Drawing on experience
Edwards made her England debut in a skirt, which gives an indication of the time she has spent in the game. She played the majority of her career before full-time contracts were introduced while as a coach she has experience around the world, including with the Mumbai Indians in the Women's Premier League, Southern Brave in the Hundred and Sydney Sixers in the Women's Big Bash.
Beth Barrett-Wild, the director of the women's professional game at the England and Wales Cricket Board, believes Edwards' knowledge and experience will aid her going forward.
'Charlotte Edwards is a proven winner. She's obviously been part and parcel of English cricket for many decades now,' Barrett-Wild said. 'I think she really bridges that gap between where the women's game has come from… from those early days of professionalisation back in 2014.'
Treating players as individuals
Edwards was a player at the start of the professional era and she also has an understanding of the current situation, with 135 fully professional domestic players in 2025. Those who have been coached by her emphasise her ability to connect with players on an individual basis and maximise their potential.
'For me, one of her best qualities is she gets to know her players as individuals and she treats them like individuals,' says Windsor. 'That doesn't mean standards drop or anything, but it means that she knows how to get the best out of each player.
'She's very dedicated and I'm chuffed to bits for her. I think where English women's cricket is, she is the right person to be at the helm. She's played for England herself and captained England for many years, but she's also been part of domestic cricket for so long she knows the challenges and the opportunities that we now have in place.'
Simplifying the complicated
Charlie Dean, who is centrally contracted by England and has made 79 white-ball appearances for the national side, has already worked under Edwards at Southern Vipers.
'She's a fantastic head coach,' Dean tells Telegraph Sport. 'She really makes the game seem simple. As complicated a game as cricket is, the way that she looks at it and describes it just makes it feel like a simple game.
'She always says: 'Block the good ones, hit the bad 'uns' and everything just seems to make perfect common sense in her mind.
'My favourite thing to do when we were batting and I was next in to bat was to sit next to her because I love listening to the way that she talks about the game.'