She has an English T20 match named after her. After establishing herself as one of the all-time greats of girls’s cricket, Charlotte Edwards took to teaching with the identical ardour that drove her to make 10,273 worldwide runs. She broke the document for the best ODI rating in girls’s cricket as a 17-year-old. More than a decade later, she led England to two World Cup triumphs in the identical yr! She guided Mumbai Indians to victory in the inaugural WPL. She can also be the coach of Sydney Sixers, Southern Brave and Hampshire. Edwards spoke to The Hindu in the course of the first leg of the WPL’s third season at Vadodara. Excerpts:
How do you discover your journey with Mumbai Indians in the WPL?
I completely find it irresistible. It has been one of the actual highlights of my profession in phrases of enjoying and training. We all the time hoped there could be a WPL. Then to be half of that first version with Mumbai Indians, it’s what goals are made of actually.
It was nice to undergo an public sale for the primary time, after which to get that staff collectively inside a quick quantity of time. What I am actually happy about is the best way the Indian uncapped gamers have used their alternative. The manner Saika Ishaque performed for us in the WPL’s first season after which occurring to play for India, and S. Sajana hitting that six first ball in the second season. Now these are life-changing moments for these individuals.
When I sit in a dugout in front of 20,000 individuals in the evening, right here, or Bengaluru final yr or earlier than that in Mumbai, these are particular moments. It has been unbelievable, you kind of have to pinch your self.
When they had been rivals: Edwards relished her battles with ‘unbelievable bowler’ Jhulan Goswami. ‘I feel very fortunate now to work with her [at Mumbai Indians] and, you know, call her my friend,’ she says. | Photo credit score: Sandeep Saxena
What made you be part of Mumbai Indians?
I don’t assume you can’t settle for a proposal from Mumbai Indians. You know, it was the one franchise that I needed to be half of. When I take into consideration the IPL, I assume of the success Mumbai has had through the years.
Were you approached by another franchises as effectively?
Clearly, there was a lot of curiosity round that point. But Mumbai confirmed their curiosity fairly early. Things moved fairly rapidly.
We are seeing a lot of youngsters making their debut on the WPL. And some of them are getting large cash, too.
The WPL has modified the women’ lives in India. It definitely is thrilling. We are going to hopefully do much more over the following few years, as a result of the sport is barely going to get greater.
Coach’s dream: Nat Sciver-Brunt’s humility and work ethic make her a pleasure to practice with, says Edwards. | Photo credit score: Mumbai Indians
Women’s cricket most likely didn’t seem to be it was going to be large when you began out…
I had to work alongside enjoying. All the gamers in the England staff had been amateurs. When I made my debut in 1996, I paid for my very own blazer.
The sport reworked massively during the last 5 years or so. When I was enjoying ten years in the past, you know, the sport was transferring. I was a skilled cricketer again then. I assume there have been simply 15 professionals in England at the moment. It has been extraordinary actually to see the rise of the sport.
There wasn’t a lot of girls’s cricket when I started. I simply liked the sport and performed with boys. Then, fortunately I discovered some girls’s cricket after which my rise to the highest and enjoying for England occurred in a short time.
And earlier than lengthy, you hit that 173 not out towards Ireland in the 1997 World Cup at Pune.
It was a scorching day. And I managed to rating my highest worldwide rating on the tender age of 17.
What are your earliest recollections of cricket?
Playing in the again backyard with my brother, watching my dad play on a Saturday afternoon. You know, that was cricket for me. And now, I am sitting in a dugout in India in one of the best competitors in the world.
Bygone period: The girls’s sport was very completely different when Edwards arrived on the scene in 1996. ‘All the players in the England team were amateurs,’ she says. ‘It has been extraordinary really to see the rise of the game.’ | Photo credit score: Getty Images
And your first Test hundred was towards India.
India is a particular place for me. I actually loved enjoying right here as a participant. And I liked travelling across the nation as a participant. Now I get to do all of it once more as a coach.
The finest Indians that you have performed towards?
Jhulan Goswami. She was an unbelievable bowler and somebody I had a lot of good contests with through the years. And I actually loved that. I really feel very lucky now to work along with her [as the bowling coach at Mumbai Indians] and get to know her, and, you know, name her my buddy.
As for the batters, there have been Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur [now the captain at MI]. Smriti Mandhana simply got here in earlier than I completed, however as soon as I noticed her play, I was like, wow, this woman goes to be so good. I get pleasure from watching her bat. And Yastika Bhatia isn’t far behind. I additionally like to watch Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney and Phoebe Litchfield.
You additionally performed with some sensible gamers in the England staff, akin to the 2 Taylors, Claire and Sarah…
Claire Taylor was undoubtedly one of one of the best I have performed with. Sarah was probably the most gifted participant, with out a doubt. Some of the issues she may do as a keeper was unbelievable and he or she has performed some of one of the best innings I have seen. I was very lucky to play with some nice gamers again in the day and now I get to coach some of the nice gamers, which is even higher.
You have performed with and coached Nat Sciver-Brunt, who some contemplate one of the best feminine cricketer in the world.
She is simply an unbelievable participant, but in addition a nice individual, a very humble individual. We have had a nice time along with her at MI. Even when I first noticed her, she had an unbelievable work ethic. So it’s no shock to me that she has gone on and carried out nice issues in the sport and can proceed to do nice issues. I assume individuals haven’t fairly given her the credit score for her bowling.
Best in the world: As England captain, Edwards gained two World Cup titles, throughout completely different codecs, in 2009. | Photo credit score: Getty Images
You had been the captain of England for 10 years. Winning these two World Cups in 2009 should have been particular…
It will all the time be particular. To win the 50-over World Cup in Australia after which to win in the T20 again at residence at Lords — most likely no higher venue to do it. Those had been very particular months actually for us as a facet. To be the captain of that staff… these had been some unbelievable moments.
What is the state of the ladies’s sport again residence now?
Really optimistic. We have gone to a county construction now. There are eight skilled county groups, with one other 10 skilled groups in Tier 2. And The Hundred has been nice for girls’s cricket, attracting household crowds.
Published – March 01, 2025 12:14 am IST
