Charlotte
Edwards announces retirement from international cricket
England women’s captain, Charlotte
Edwards, has announced her retirement from international cricket with immediate
effect.
The 36-year-old batsman made her international debut as a 16 year old in 1996, and during a 20-year career with
England has made more international appearances than any other female cricketer
in the history of the game, amassing 23 Test Match caps, 191 One-Day
International (ODI) caps, and 95 Twenty20 International (T20I) caps. With
5,992 runs, she is the current all-time leading ODI run-scorer in women’s
cricket, and has scored more T20I runs (2,605) than any other player in the
world (man or woman).
Appointed England captain in 2006,
Edwards has led her country on 220 occasions, taking the team to ICC Women’s
World Cup and ICC World Twenty20 glory in 2009, alongside winning the Women’s
Ashes three times as captain – once in England (2013) and twice in Australia
(2008 and 2014).
In 2008 she won the ICC Women’s Player
of the Year award, and during 2014 was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday
Honours list, became only the second woman ever to be named as a Wisden
Cricketer of the Year, and was the first female cricketer to be nominated for
the coveted ICC LG People’s Choice Award.
Charlotte Edwards said:
“Everyone who knows me – and how much I
love playing for England – will appreciate what a difficult decision it has
been for me to retire from international cricket. It’s a decision I’ve reached
after much thought and detailed discussion with Mark Robinson and Clare Connor
about what is best for the team going forward.
“I have given 20 years to playing for
England and I leave very proud of the standing in which the women's game
is held and of my contribution as a player and captain. As a 16-year-old
girl making my debut for England, I couldn't have dreamt that I would have had
such an amazing time with so much success. I've travelled the world, won
World Cups and Ashes series and shared it all with some of my closest friends.
“However, nothing lasts forever. I
believe now is the right time for a new captain to lead the team forward and
for young players to be given more opportunities to make their mark on the
international game. After honest and open discussions with Mark, it
became clear that he wants to build a new team and I fully support that.
I would have loved to have carried on and whilst I am disappointed that I won’t
be doing so, I fully understand and respect what Mark is looking to do.
This is a new era and he wants other players to come to the fore to build a
strong team.
“20 years is a long time and so I have
many people to thank: my family, my friends, every single coach who has helped
me get better during my career, all the support staff and my England team mates
over the last two decades. They are all special to me and I couldn't have
achieved even half of what I have without them. I also want to thank
everyone at the ECB for all their support and guidance over the years, and to
the incredible fan base that has grown for the England women’s team throughout
my career.
“Aside from the team's successes and my
own personal record, I am most proud of where the women's game is now. I
have loved working with the ECB off the pitch to break new ground and to build
a better future for the sport, and I hope to continue to play a role in this
moving forwards.”
Tom Harrison, ECB Chief Executive,
commented:
“Charlotte Edwards has been at the heart
of the England women’s team and a major force in international women’s cricket
for two decades. Her outstanding achievements in the game during that
time are unrivalled, and in many aspects, are unlikely to ever be
surpassed. She is a credit to her country and our sport, and deserves
nothing but celebration and enormous respect for the way in which she has
played the game over the last 20 years. She leaves the most wonderful
legacy, having inspired countless women and girls around the world to pick up a
bat and a ball and play the game she so clearly loves.
“On behalf of the ECB and everyone
involved in England cricket, I would like to thank Charlotte for her very
special contribution to the game.”
ECB Director of England Women’s Cricket,
Clare Connor, added:
“It is impossible to quantify
Charlotte’s contribution to England women’s cricket in a few words, so great
has her influence and inspiration been as a leader, and so prolific her record
as a batsman. In a staggering career spanning 20 years, she has achieved
it all. She has witnessed great change: from making her debut in 1996
when, aged 16, she paid £50 for the privilege of her first England blazer to
turning fully professional for these twilight years of her career.
“Throughout that time, she has adapted,
she has thrived and she has become more and more resilient. But perhaps
most importantly she has remained in love with the game. Unlike her
sport and her journey through it, Charlotte the person has barely
changed. Despite the CBE, the professional contract, the media
requests and the World Cup medals, she has remained constant, true to herself,
an impeccable role model for our sport and, indeed, for all women in
sport. She has given everything to playing cricket for England and the
game will forever owe her a huge debt of gratitude. I wish her every
success and happiness as she embarks on the next stage of her life.”
Charlotte Edwards will continue to play
domestic cricket, captaining the Southern Vipers in the inaugural Kia Super
League this summer, alongside leading Kent in the Royal London Women’s One-Day
Championship.
Her replacement as England captain will
be announced in due course.
Charlotte Edwards Profile
Charlotte Edwards Profile
Full Name: Charlotte Marie Edwards CBE
Born: December 17th 1979, Huntingdon
County: Kent
Test Caps: 23
ODI Caps: 191
T20I Caps: 95
Role: Right-hand bat / right-arm spin bowler
International
Batting and Fielding Averages:
Mat
|
Inns
|
NO
|
Runs
|
HS
|
Ave
|
100
|
50
|
Ct
|
|
Tests
|
23
|
43
|
5
|
1676
|
117
|
44.10
|
4
|
9
|
10
|
ODIs
|
191
|
180
|
23
|
5992
|
173*
|
38.16
|
9
|
46
|
52
|
T20Is
|
95
|
93
|
14
|
2605
|
92*
|
32.97
|
0
|
12
|
16
|
International
Bowling Averages:
Mat
|
Inns
|
Balls
|
Runs
|
Wkts
|
BBI
|
BBM
|
Ave
|
Econ
|
SR
|
4w
|
|
Tests
|
23
|
20
|
1118
|
577
|
12
|
2-28
|
2-54
|
48.08
|
3.09
|
93.1
|
0
|
ODIs
|
191
|
51
|
1627
|
1174
|
54
|
4-30
|
4-30
|
21.74
|
4.32
|
30.1
|
2
|
T20Is
|
95
|
21
|
303
|
330
|
9
|
3-21
|
3-21
|
36.66
|
6.53
|
33.6
|
0
|
MD
11/V/16
11/V/16
Anyone who has been lucky enough to meet or watch Charlotte Edwards as England captain and player cannot be anything but impressed at her professionalism. Her performances on and off the field for English Women’s cricket are a master class in being a professional cricketer.
ReplyDeleteThere will always be criticism of a trailblazer but to get to this point CE above all had to stay true to herself and her vision. Mark Robinson and the ECB seem to have seen this as an ‘all or nothing’ decision rather than finding a compromise.
CE developed the England team in her own image and demanded high standards but she obviously believes she could have adapted to a new regime, MR and the ECB do not. But without her we all know the England women’s team would not be where it is today and may struggle for a while.
Our regret should be that the new professional regime means her international farewell has been a media rather than a cricketing event, she deserves better.
Quote : “Everyone who knows me – and how much I love playing for England – will appreciate what a difficult decision it has been for me to retire from international cricket. However, nothing lasts forever. I believe now is the right time for a new captain to lead the team forward and for young players to be given more opportunities to make their mark on the international game. After honest and open discussions with Mark, it became clear that he wants to build a new team and I fully support that”
ReplyDeleteIn other words : As a result of really difficult conversations with Robbo it became clear that he wants the same captain for next 5 years. I can’t commit to the next 5 years so I’m standing down as captain. I’m willing to continue playing as a non-captain but Robinson doesn’t want a former captain’s shadow over the team.
Observation : It’s ironic that Edwards has many of the attributes of a captain that Robinson needs in his new world. He’ll struggle to find a better fit.
Quote : “I would have loved to have carried on and whilst I am disappointed that I won’t be doing so, I fully understand and respect what Mark is looking to do. This is a new era and he wants other players to come to the fore to build a strong team.”
In other words : The axe is coming. Robinson is about to cull those he doesn’t see as the future. This is Robinson making as a big a statement as possible. There are about to be other ‘retirements’.
Observation : This is revolution, not evolution. Being a professional England cricketer is about to change significantly. Players who can’t even remember there was an amateur era will start to emerge. Robinson has looked at what Shaw left him and he doesn’t like it. This is a driven person.
Conclusion : She deserved a better exit than this.
Really disappointed she wasn’t allowed to choose her own time of departure, as I’ve said before here I would rather have her over any young whippet simply because she remains England’s most consistent and reliable batsman. Our brittle batting line up has just got even weaker. However, I knew the day would arrive when she was no longer around, we couldn’t put it off forever, and from her comments at the press conference it seems there will be several new faces in the team this summer. Good luck to them all, but it appears we might have to steel ourselves for a less successful period as we find out which of the new blood has what it takes and which do not. As regards a new captain, I’d say either Brunt or Shrubsole was the best choice. Opening bowlers are not usually first on the list of potential captains, but in the women’s internationals, they can only bowl up to 20% of the overs, so it’s less of an issue. Appointing Gunn would look like a stop gap, Taylor has far too much on her plate otherwise and Knight needs to justify her place in the team before she could be considered for captaincy.
ReplyDelete