It came to her as a complete shocker. Charlotte Edwards had been doing well even in the shortest format of the game. In the 2016 World Cup, she had become the first-ever player, across the gender, to score 2500 runs in T20I cricket. She had scored 684 runs in 23 innings with an average of 36 in T20I in the last two years and had played a predominant role in England’s campaign in 2014 and 2016 World Cup.
Besides she had also scored 635 runs with an average of 46 in the last 2 years in ODI as well. So she thought that the gas was still there to move further. But then England coach Mark Robinson and England women cricket director Clare Conner had other plans. They wanted to give younger players a chance before the 2017 World Cup. She talked with them and both of them convinced her that it was for the betterment of England cricket. She wanted to carry on, but the coach didn’t see her in the future plans.
A prolific right-handed batsman, who also bowled leg breaks, Edwards was named the ICC women’s cricketer of the year in 2008, was awarded the MBE in 2009, and became just the second woman to be honoured as one of Wisden’s five cricketers of the year in 2014.
Charlotte Edwards, was the baby of the world cricket when, at the age of 16, she became the youngest player ever to represent England before Holly Colvin broke her record made debut the highest run-getter for England. Teenage angst was a never problem for her and she smashed a ton off only 118 balls against Touring South Africa in 1997. In 1999 World Cup on the eve of her birthday, she scored prolific 173 against Ireland.
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Apart from her brilliant 2005 campaign, she led England to win the Ashes after 22 years in 2005. 2009 was a glorious year for her as a captain. She helped England to regain the Ashes and win the 50 over World Cup in New Zealand, beating arch-rival Australia. The team went on to claim the World Twenty20 Championship on home soil that summer and subsequent successes include back-to-back victories in the Ashes series of 2013 and 2013-14.
With 5992 ODI runs, she was the highest run-getter until Mithali Raj broke in 2017 World Cup. With several records under her kitty, she bid adieu to International Cricket on this day in 2016.
