England to bring in minimum fitness standards

England will present minimum fittingness standards for their women's players adjacent year, says caput coach Charlotte Edwards.

Former skipper Edwards, who will return complaint of her first lucifer connected Wednesday successful a T20 against nan West Indies, was appointed past period pursuing this winter's 16-0 Ashes defeat.

The team's fittingness and athleticism was criticised during nan circuit and Edwards has said players will beryllium made "accountable" connected nan issue.

"The players are very alert location will beryllium minimum fittingness standards travel this clip adjacent twelvemonth which they will person to adhere to," said Edwards.

"There has to beryllium much accountability successful nan area.

"But what I will opportunity is I person been truthful impressed pinch their standards, nan measurement they person gone astir worldly and I couldn't beryllium much impressed successful that area."

After England's early exit from nan T20 World Cup successful October, erstwhile spinner Alex Hartley said immoderate players were "letting nan squad down" successful position of fitness.

Athleticism again came into attraction during nan Ashes, but coach Jon Lewis attributed that to a taste quality betwixt nan UK and Australia. He and skipper Heather Knight were sacked aft nan Ashes defeat.

Edwards, who captained England much than 200 times, oversaw fittingness testing of nan players successful her first week successful nan role.

While location were expectations and standards nether erstwhile regimes, location was nary circumstantial benchmarks players had to deed to beryllium selected.

"Clearly we had to touch connected nan fittingness issue," Edwards added.

"When I came successful I said it was each astir individual improvement.

"Before nan World Cup [in India successful September] it is astir individuals improving arsenic overmuch arsenic they tin successful that time.

"I americium not going to group fittingness standards [now] because location haven't been immoderate standards successful spot truthful I felt I was defeating nan object."

England's men person had minimum standards successful nan past but their attack has go much relaxed nether skipper Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum.

Elsewhere successful nan women's game, South Africa dropped skipper Dane van Niekerk for a location T20 World Cup successful 2023 aft she grounded to meet nan required clip successful nan 2 kilometre tally but person since relaxed their rules.

Edwards besides said she is successful "constant communication" pinch spinner Sophie Ecclestone, who was near retired of nan squad to play West Indies arsenic she recovers from injury.

Ecclestone, who refused a TV question and reply pinch erstwhile team-mate Hartley during nan Ashes, has featured successful 3 matches for Lancashire successful nan past week, having not played for 2 months pursuing nan Women's Premier League.

"I person had tons of connection pinch Soph," Edwards said. "I went up to spot her.

"When nan squad was selected she hadn't played a crippled of cricket.

"Between america some we felt nan champion mentation for nan summertime was to spell backmost play for Lancashire and get immoderate cricket nether her belt."

The first of 3 T20s connected Wednesday, which are followed by 3 one-day internationals from 30 May, are besides England's first nether skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt.

In a bid to create much leaders successful nan squad, Edwards said England will name a activity group for each bid alternatively than 1 imperishable vice-captain pinch wicketkeeper Amy Jones, all-rounder Charlie Dean and batter Sophia Dunkley successful nan domiciled for nan Windies T20s.