'Edwards the only candidate England should consider'

Charlotte Edwards is the only candidate England should consider when appointing a new head coach of the women's team, says former batter Lydia Greenway.

England are looking for a new coach and captain after Jon Lewis and Heather Knight were removed from their positions in the aftermath of a catastrophic 16-0 points defeat in the Women's Ashes earlier this year.

And while there are a number of contenders to replace Lewis, Greenway believes it is the "perfect time" to appoint the hugely successful Edwards.

"I played most my career with her [Edwards] and I've coached with her, and I feel like she is the only name England should be looking at," Greenway, 39, told BBC Test Match Special.

"I haven't spoken to her but I think this is the perfect time for her to come into this role.

"When the role initially came up, when Lewis took it, I think she would have wanted to get herself a little bit more experience in the head coach role and she's had that.

"I'm sure the ECB will have to go through their own processes, maybe somebody like [former Australia head coach] Matthew Mott or England A coach Jon Lewis puts their name forward, but if I were them I don't think they need to look much further."

Edwards' 20-year international career came to an end in 2016, with a decade spent as captain, and she was replaced by Knight who steered England to World Cup glory a year later.

Having moved into coaching, Edwards has led Mumbai Indians to two titles in the Women's Premier League (WPL) in India, has won The Hundred with Southern Brave and claimed five domestic trophies with Southern Vipers.

She has been appointed as Hampshire's head coach in the revamped county structure in England and Wales for the 2025 season.

After the Ashes humiliation, Edwards told the BBC Stumped podcast that she was keen to help England rebuild and Greenway added that her former team-mate's coaching style would be the right method for the team's progression.

"In women's cricket, we've had a number of different coaches who have had very different styles and I think in the past, at times it has been a little bit too instructional," said Greenway, who won more than 200 caps across formats in her England career.

"The ropes have been quite tight in terms of what players can and can't do and they've felt quite suppressed. So Jon was almost the opposite, he's been quite slack about what the players can do both on and off the pitch.

"I think Edwards has the best of both. She has that balance of making sure players are accountable on and off the field, but also bringing in some fun and understanding that players are not robots. She can recognise the moments when they need that breathing space."

World Cup-winning spinner Alex Hartley also backed Edwards for the job and described her as a "brilliant, outstanding coach".

"She'll really get hold of this team and she'll know how to make the standards better so they can compete under pressure," Hartley said.

"She gives you free rein to work out things for yourself but doesn't take any nonsense and that is what England need right now."

The potential candidates are not as clear regarding England's next captain, though Nat Sciver-Brunt seems the most likely option having been Knight's deputy with many, including both Greenway and Hartley, naming off-spinner Charlie Dean as a contender.

"It has been one of the biggest downfalls over the past five or six years that there isn't a standout candidate to take over," Hartley added.

"They need a coach who can get the culture right, control the group and sort out the problems within the changing room, and then the captain can come in and have strong ideas.

"I want a young person, a fresh person, someone like Charlie Dean - I think she'd be an exceptional leader who will play for England for a number of years."