Charlotte Edwards is set to announce her first squad as England Women's head coach this week, and it's one of the most unpredictable in recent history.
While new coaches usually want to effect change of some sort, the depths to which England sank over their winter Ashes mauling means this squad has even greater potential for high-profile axings. Equally, Edwards clearly has a different outlook on the game than her predecessor John Lewis, and a greater depth of knowledge on the women's domestic game, meaning there could also be a few names plucked from the county circuit in the group.
Following Edwards' appointment and under the new county structure, the first few weeks of domestic competition have seen players with and without England pedigree stick their hands up for selection – another rarity in recent years. The current top five run-scorers in the One Day Cup all come from outside of England's core, with the same to be said in the wicket-taker charts aside from Sarah Glenn who sits in joint fifth.
With that being said, there's general consensus that Edwards won't rip up the team-sheet. Her new captain, Nat Sciver-Brunt, was the continuity candidate, and most of those involved in the Ashes defeat have performed well enough in the early domestic season to justify keeping their spots. There are, however, still several big selection calls to be made. Edwards could stick or twist. Either way, it will give a good idea of what to expect from her tenure.
Do England need a new opening partnership?
The opening partnership has seen the most change in personnel in England's batting lineup over the last couple of years, in both T20Is and ODIs. Early last year, Sophia Dunkley made way for Maia Bouchier to partner Tammy Beaumont. Bouchier also won the race to join Danni Wyatt-Hodge at the top of the T20I order. However, her performance in both the T20 World Cup and the Ashes was poor, and she didn't play the third T20I in Australia. While her start to the domestic season has been decent – an average of 38.00 and three half-centuries from six innings – several other openers have made stronger cases for selection.
Emma Lamb is the current standout from the county circuit. She last played for England in their white-ball series against Ireland last year, and had a successful initial run in the ODI side in 2022, until a dip in form saw her lose her place. Lamb has scored 405 runs from her first six county innings, including an unbeaten 130* in the opening round. Now 27 and nearing her prime years, she seems the most likely candidate for a recall. However, she faces competition from Dunkley, who has been pushing her case, as well as a potential move up the order for Amy Jones. Tammy Beaumont has nailed down her place, while Hampshire's Ella McCaughan has also staked a claim.
The same decision will also have to be made over the T20I squad. Here, Bryony Smith has made a case batting alongside Wyatt-Hodge at Surrey, with her boundary percentage and strike rate among the highest in the league. She will have to battle with teammate Paige Scholfield, who showed her potential as an opener in last year's Hundred.
Where will Amy Jones fit in?
Jones is the player in England's core who might find her place under most threat. Having moved up to open for The Blaze alongside Tammy Beaumont, she's only passed 50 once in six innings and her average is currently less than 30. There's some speculation that the move up to open came from the England camp after she opened in an intra-squad game just before the start of the season. Moving her up would free up space in England's middle order – potentially for Scholfield – and find a new way of using a senior player. However, given the number of openers England have available to choose from, she may struggle to break into the role, and may even find her place under threat.
Which all-rounders will make the cut?
England have been on the hunt for a No.7 in both formats over the last couple of years, with Alice Capsey, Dani Gibson and Freya Kemp the central candidates. Gibson is recovering from a back injury that means she will likely not bowl for at least the start of the international summer, while Capsey may well occupy a spot higher up the order. Kemp has also not featured for Hampshire in the One Day Cup so far. That opens up an opportunity for an all-rounder, for which Emily Arlott is the outstanding candidate from the domestic circuit. She's currently the joint-leading wicket-taker in the One Day Cup, and scored 130 from No.7 against Essex.
Will the spin triumvirate be broken up?
While England's spin attack is generally considered one of the best in the world, there could be some changes made – at least in the short term. Sophie Ecclestone hasn't played for Lancashire yet this season as she manages an injury. Sarah Glenn's place also could be in trouble after a poor Ashes in which she played just two T20Is and didn't take a wicket. She has, however, put in a decent start to the county season, with 11 wickets at 21.36. The outstanding candidate to come in is Linsey Smith, who came in for Glenn in the final Ashes T20I and has been a regular feature in England squads over the last year. She has been the standout bowler from the One Day Cup so far and could come in to cover Ecclestone or alongside her.
Which pacers are fit?
England's pace attack has been their best-performing asset over the last year, with Lauren Filer finding her feet to partner Lauren Bell, and plenty waiting in the wings to come through. However, Filer hasn't featured for her new county Durham yet, and while there is no official line, she may be suffering from an injury. That would leave a space in the pace group which could be filled by fit again Mahika Gaur, or the likes of Ryana MacDonald-Gay, who starred in the Test format over the winter but has yet to get a run in either white-ball side.
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