Charlotte Edwards: England women’s head coach says players have ‘100%’ addressed issues over fitness

England head coach Charlotte Edwards said they had categorically addressed issues with their players’ fitness.

The physical condition of England players was a hot topic of discussion before Edwards’ appointment.

England’s early exit from the Women’s T20 World Cup some 18 months ago led former spinner Alex Hartley to say some players were “let the team down” in terms of fitness.

Athletics came into focus again during the Ashes in January 2025, with former coach Jon Lewis attributing this to the cultural difference between the UK and Australia.

Edwards introduced minimum fitness standards for England players when he replaced Lewis last year.

When asked on the BBC Test Match debate show whether his fitness issue had been eliminated, Edwards said it was “100%”.

“We’re in a really good place. The results are all very high. I couldn’t be happier; we’ve made real progress,” Edwards said.

“It’s not just about whether you can run on a track. We tried to make all the other elements that are important equally important.”

Edwards will celebrate one year in charge of England on Wednesday, as they host the T20 World Cup this summer.

The 46-year-old said that the introduction of certain criteria regarding fitness had the desired effect.

“I think once we set the expectation the players know what they need to do and we added some benchmarks over the winter,” Edwards added.

“We’ve got to keep raising the standards. The players have fully embraced it, so I guess that’s what I’ve decided to do and I’m really pleased with the turnout.

“I don’t know if anyone has watched the pitch recently. [intra-squad] series, but it’s definitely one of the best pitches I’ve seen in our group and the improvements we’ve made.”

Watch the full discussion on England’s women’s team BBC iPlayer or listen as a podcast BBC Voices.