The England women’s cricket team will implement minimum fitness standards by next year, says newly-appointed head coach Charlotte Edwards.
The former England captain, who will oversee her first match in charge on Wednesday in a T20I fixture against the West Indies, steps into the role following England’s disappointing 16-0 Ashes whitewash earlier this year.
Charlotte Edwards: There has to be more accountability towards fitness
The tour saw heavy criticism directed at the squad’s overall fitness and athleticism, with Edwards now determined to bring greater accountability in that area. "The players are very aware there will be minimum fitness standards come this time next year, which they will have to adhere to," Edwards confirmed. “There has to be more accountability in the area.”
Edwards has already begun implementing change, conducting fitness assessments in her first week on the job. While expectations around fitness existed under former coaching setups, no formal benchmarks were in place to determine selection eligibility. Reflecting on the situation, Edwards remarked, "Clearly, we had to touch on the fitness issue. When I came in, I said it was all about individual improvement.”
She stressed that the immediate focus was on progress at a personal level, particularly ahead of the Women’s ODI World Cup scheduled for September in India. “Before the World Cup, it is about individuals improving as much as they can in that time. I am not going to set fitness standards [now] because there haven't been any standards in place, so I felt I was defeating the object."
Despite the criticism the team faced in Australia earlier this year, Edwards expressed admiration for how the players have responded. “But what I will say is I have been so impressed with their standards, the way they have gone about stuff, and I couldn't be more impressed in that area."
Concerns around fitness were also raised after England's early exit from the T20 World Cup last October. At the time, former spinner Alex Hartley had commented that certain players were “letting the team down” with their fitness standards. The same topic resurfaced during the Ashes defeat, though then-coach Jon Lewis suggested that differences in athletic culture between England and Australia might have contributed to the perceived disparity. Both Lewis and captain Heather Knight were removed following the Ashes loss.
Sophie Ecclestone had infamously refused to do a TV interview with Hartley during the tour due to her comments, with the commentator also stating that she had been “hung out to dry by the England team” as they refused to talk to her during the games.
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