England are four-time World Cup champions, winning their first trophy in the maiden year 1973 under legendary captain Rachael Heyhoe Flint and their most recent in 2017 at home, when Heather Knight led them to a thrilling victory against India at Lord’s, the Home of Cricket. However, the team is now led by a new skipper in Nat Sciver-Brunt and are now coached by former skipper Charlotte Edwards, who brings a reputed CV as a coach. As they aim for a fifth title, England remain the second most successful team in World Cup history, just behind Australia, and will be looking to add another coveted trophy to their cabinet.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Strong Batting line-up
The biggest strength for England will be their in-form batting lineup-which can pose serious headaches to any bowling line-up. Right at the top of the order, Amy Jones leads the charts with 411 runs in nine matches this year, narrowly ahead of skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt, who has 396 runs in the same period. Opening partner Tammy Beaumont has also been in great touch, with both she and Jones hitting back-to-back centuries against West Indies to secure a 3-0 series sweep at home. This was also Edwards’ first assignment as national coach.
Another sensational performer who is in serious touch is Sophia Dunkley. Against India, she scored 126 runs at an average of 63 and a strike rate of 91.97, which helped her bag the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for July. The addition of experienced batters in the form of Heather Knight and Danni Wyatt-Hodge further strengthens the middle order, bolstering a well-rounded core.
Formidable Spin Quartet
Another major strength for England is their spin quartet, which could be a key asset in sub-continental conditions. Using four spinners gives them variety and flexibility, especially as pitches tend to slow down later in tournaments.
Leading the attack is Sophie Ecclestone, who has already taken 125 wickets in 74 matches at an economy of 3.68. Returning leg-spinner Sarah Glenn brings a different angle and adds variety on spin-friendly tracks, having claimed 23 wickets in 18 matches at an economy of 4.33. Charlie Dean will be a pivotal player, as she scalped four wickets in the bilateral India series, while Linsey Smith’s left-arm spin and Alice Capsey’s part-time bowling provide further depth.
Weaknesses
Inconsistency
One area of concern for England is their recent inconsistency. They suffered defeats against India in both the ODI and T20I series for the first time, and that too on home soil. Fielding, which has often been a key strength, has shown cracks, with the team occasionally letting promising positions slip. Coach Charlotte Edwards has also highlighted this as an area that needs improvement.
While England can dominate proceedings at times, lapses in focus and execution have cost them matches, making consistency and sharp fielding a key weakness heading into the tournament. 2025 has been a mixed year for England, with 4 wins from 9 games, including a tough 0-3 Ashes defeat in January that triggered multiple changes in team selection.
Kate Cross omission
One of the most talked-about decisions has been the exclusion of Kate Cross. Since the last World Cup, she has played in 31 of England’s 45 ODIs, taking 39 wickets, including a career-best 6/30. In 2025, she has added three wickets from four matches. Cross herself described the omission as ‘harsh’ and said it was hard to come to terms with. At the same time, captain Nat Sciver-Brunt called it ‘bitter but positive,’ emphasising that the decision reflects the squad’s depth and balance.
However, with the tournament being played in conditions favouring spin, the selectors chose Sarah Glenn instead, who has claimed 11 wickets in nine ODIs since 2022, including an impressive 3/21 in her only outing this year.
Opportunities
Return of Heather Knight
Heather Knight’s comeback presents England with a golden opportunity to strengthen their hold at the top. One of the team’s most experienced and legendary players, Knight brings both authority and stability to the side. Since 2022, she has scored 607 runs in ODIs, with the highest of 75*, and this year alone, in three ODIs played in 2025, she has contributed 71 runs while working back into form.
More than her runs in ODI matches, her quality of guidance and experience will be very important to support new captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and manage high-pressure moments in the tournament. Knight’s World Cup record shows just how valuable she can be. In the home World Cup of 2017, the 34-year-old scored 364 runs, being the fourth-leading run getter for her side. In 2022, she led them to the Final again, showing amazing consistency on the largest stage.
With her invaluable experience at the crunchiest of stages, Knight provides England with the perfect chance to build on their dominance and launch a serious challenge for ICC glory in the thirteenth edition of the tournament.
Threats
After finishing as runners-up at the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand, England have played 39 ODIs and won 25, inconsistencies in results are evident. The two recent defeats to India at home will not help their confidence, and England’s over reliance on the top order batters, it could be said, may backfire if the key batters fail to fire.
The 15-member squad, no doubt, still offers tremendous depth, even though a small number of the players are inexperienced at the ICC level, and handling the pressure would be some challenge. England last toured India in 2023, and a serious shift in weather conditions would be challenging for the team to acclimate to hot and humid conditions in the sub-continent region.
England’s squad for Women’s World Cup 2025:
Em Arlott, Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Emma Lamb, Nat Sciver-Brunt (C), Linsey Smith, Danni Wyatt-Hodge
England’s schedule at Women’s World Cup 2025:
3 October 2025: vs South Africa – Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati
7 October 2025: vs Bangladesh – Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati
11 October 2025: vs Sri Lanka – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
15 October 2025: vs Pakistan – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
19 October 2025: vs India – Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore
22 October 2025: vs Australia – Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore
26 October 2025: vs New Zealand – ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
*All games have a start time of 3:00 PM IST
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