England are set to name their squad for the women’s 50-over World Cup soon and, after their series defeat to India this summer, there are several dilemmas Charlotte Edwards will need to mull over when making her selections.
Having made the final of the competition in both of its last two editions, the expectations for England this time around feel much lower. Despite having beaten both West Indies and South Africa in ODI series over the last three months, they were trounced by Australia in the 50-over leg of the Ashes, and comfortably came off worse against India on home soil. They’ve also only had six matches under their new head coach, who’s been tasked with turning the side around for a competition in a country in which they haven’t ever won a bilateral ODI series.
They also have injury concerns to their key players in Heather Knight and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, and still feel in the bedding-in period of the new brand of 50-over cricket Edwards has implemented. But despite those factors, anything less than knockout qualification will likely be viewed as a below-par return for a side containing some of the best players in the world, led by the most decorated domestic coach in the world over the last couple of years at the helm.
Will Sciver-Brunt be able to bowl?
England’s new captain missed some of the T20I series against India, and was unable to bowl in the ODIs. As the saying goes, all-rounders are like gold dust, and when Sciver-Brunt plays as a batter only, it skews the balance of the side. England coped during the India series with Sophie Ecclestone at No.7, and also by using Em Arlott as a lower-order all-rounder at Lord’s. Having Sciver-Brunt the bowler back would allow more flexibility, particularly in India, to play three spinners without having one of their bowling all-rounders a position too high, or to bring an Alice Capsey figure into the lower middle-order.
ALSO READ: India are the 2025 Women's World Cup hosts, but where is the home advantage?
How to accommodate Knight’s return
Knight missed the entirety of England’s series against India with a hamstring injury which also ruled her out of The Hundred. While she’s likely to be fit again for the World Cup, getting her back in isn’t a simple equation. In her absence against India, Emma Lamb was rewarded for a mountain of domestic runs with an international recall. She was impressive at No.3 in both Southampton and Durham, scoring 68 at a crunch point in the innings with Sciver-Brunt in the last ODI of the summer, and hitting another century for Lancashire in the One Day Cup a week later.
Lamb is the type of player likely to get significant backing by Edwards, and she fits in well with how England are going about their 50-over cricket. Simply, Knight has to play, but whether a space can also be found for Lamb in the XI – perhaps in place of one of England’s No.6 options – could mean Edwards will need to shuffle her batting pack.
Which seam-bowling all-rounders will make the cut?
Edwards brought two seam-bowling all-rounders back into the England fold for her first summer in charge, with both Em Arlott and Alice Davidson-Richards recalled. While Davidson-Richards played mostly as a specialist batter, Arlott shone with the ball, particularly in England’s win at Lord’s. If Sciver-Brunt returns to bowling fitness, that may squeeze Arlott’s role in the side, with Lauren Bell and Lauren Filer taking on the load if England require two specialists. While Davidson-Richards batted at No.6 and only bowled three overs across the summer, she didn’t nail down her spot, and has both Maia Bouchier and Alice Capsey both gunning for a spot.
Who takes the death overs?
England made some subtle changes to how they use their bowlers during the summer. When Ecclestone came back into the side against India, they generally front-loaded her overs, using her towards the back-end of her powerplay and bowling her out before the back 10. Ecclestone has been one of England’s most effective options at the death in ODI cricket, but using her up front as their best bowler to break key partnerships is understandable.
Having shuffled between death bowlers during the India series, England have yet to land on a definitive option, with Smith usually used in the middle overs and Filer’s pace also a risk with fielding restrictions in place. Bell often goes into the back 10 with a couple of overs left, and Kate Cross also usually bowls the majority of her overs up front. How to manage that period of the game is one of the most pressing issues from the summer.
Could a late bolter come into the squad?
It’s likely that Edwards will select from the pool of players blooded into her era over the summer. However, having made clear the emphasis she puts on domestic performance, the latest rounds of the One Day Cup, as well as The Hundred, offer both opportunities for those on the periphery to shore up their spots and, perhaps, a bolter or two to displace them. The most likely candidates for the latter include Danni Wyatt-Hodge – perhaps less likely given she was dropped from the 50-over sides when Edwards took over – or Davina Perrin, who scored a century in the final round of the One Day Cup before it broke up for The Hundred, and has impressed across the domestic summer.
It feels a tournament too soon for Perrin, who is still only 18, and similar can be said of 17-year-old left-arm spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman. Should injuries come into play for key figures, however, those two have put themselves towards the top of the pile of replacements.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
