It’s truly something when a four-time world champion England and one of the traditional superpowers of a sport enters a world tournament as an underdog. That’s where England finds itself ahead of the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025. The countdown is on. England have confirmed their 15-member squad for the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, with Nat Sciver-Brunt set to lead the side. The global event begins on September 30, and England’s first outing will be against South Africa.
Much of the build-up to this World Cup has been overshadowed by controversy around Kate Cross’s ommission from the squad and her vocal comments on the same. England has a job at hand to cut out the noise and put on a good show in India.
England Team squad Analysis
SWOT Analysis of England’s Women Team
Strength :
England has built incredible depth in its batting lineup. The return of the experienced Heather Knight after an injury layoff will bolster the English attack and lend skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt crucial support in the middle order. Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s return to the squad also adds another potent scorer to the mix. England has also bulked up its spin wallet. In world no. 1 Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean, Sarah Glenn, and Linsey Smith, England has the resources to hold it in good standing in India and Sri Lanka.
Weaknesses :
This evolving England team has been at the mercy of momentum more often than it would have liked. When things get tough, the unit sometimes mentally checks out en masse. Case in point, the thrashing at the hands of visiting India a few months ago in both white ball formats.
The bowling looked sapped out of ideas, while the batting was dangerously dependent almost solely on Sciver-Brunt. The ace all-rounder has often looked passive with the captain’s armband, but makes up for any stillness with earth-splitting batting displays. Supporting her will be a priority should England want to progress in this tournament.
Opportunity :
For long, the veteran racehorses have carried the weight of England’s ambitions on their backs. The squad picked for the 2025 edition has a generous sprinkling of youth with the likes of Em Arlett, Lauren Bell, Sophia Dunkley, and more waiting to make the stage their own. Having finished as runner-up in the 2022 edition, a relatively wonkier English side will need to collectively find its rhythm should it hope to put on a similar show this time around.
Threats :
England is still in the early stages of the Charlotte Edwards era, and the shakiness has been there for all to see. This World Cup has come in a tad early for anyone’s comfort. If teams can find ways to take away momentum early, England often falters at calming the nerves and focusing on the job. Teams will look to corner Ecclestone and Sciver-Brunt, the two pillars of the English setup. Pester them, and England lies exposed.
The year 2025 has been a mixed one for England, with 4 wins from 9 games, including a tough 0-3 Ashes defeat in January that triggered sweeping changes. The loss saw long-time skipper Heather Knight step aside, handing leadership to Sciver-Brunt, while Charlotte Edwards replaced Jon Lewis as head coach.
Despite the challenges, a few players have stood tall. Amy Jones leads the run charts for the year with 411 runs, just ahead of Sciver-Brunt with 396. On the bowling front, Sophie Ecclestone continues her dominance with 12 wickets from 6 matches, followed by Linsey Smith’s 10 wickets in just 4 games.
The Ashes against Australia in January was a tough beginning, ending in a 0-3 loss. Sciver-Brunt scored 115 runs in the series, while Ecclestone claimed 7 wickets. In May–June, they hosted West Indies and responded with a commanding 3-0 sweep. Jones starred with 251 runs, Beaumont added 213, while Smith impressed with 7 wickets from 2 games.
England’s squad for Women’s World Cup 2025:
Nat Sciver-Brunt (C), Em Arlott, Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Emma Lamb, Linsey Smith, Danni Wyatt-Hodge
When India toured England in July, the hosts went down 1-2, but Sciver-Brunt once again led from the front with 160 runs, while Ecclestone bagged 5 wickets.
Since finishing as runners-up in the 2022 edition in New Zealand, England have played 41 ODIs, winning only 25. They remain one of the most successful sides in the competition’s history, having lifted the trophy four times — in 1973, 1993, 2009, and 2017. The most memorable of these triumphs came in 2017 at Lord’s, when they edged India by 9 runs in a dramatic final.
Before the World Cup begins, England will test themselves in two crucial warm-ups against India on 25th September and Australia on 27th September.
England’s Fixtures at the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025:
3 October – vs South Africa (Bengaluru)
7 October – vs Bangladesh (Guwahati)
11 October – vs Sri Lanka (Guwahati)
15 October – vs Pakistan (Colombo)
19 October – vs India (Indore)
22 October – vs Australia (Indore)
26 October – vs New Zealand (Guwahati)