Sciver-Brunt 'given the reins' to lead her way - Edwards

New England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt will "have the reins" to lead the side in her own way after Heather Knight's nine-year stint in charge, says head coach Charlotte Edwards.

All-rounder Sciver-Brunt was named England's full-time skipper on Tuesday and will make her return to training next week after being on maternity leave.

Sciver-Brunt had previously been Knight's vice-captain, but Edwards added that she is happy to be starting with a "blank canvas" as the team transitions from a difficult year that culminated with a 16-0 Ashes thrashing in January.

"She is very laid back and unassuming for one of the best players in the world," former England captain Edwards said, speaking at a launch event at Lord's for the ICC T20 World Cup which is being hosted in England in 2026.

"We will be working together very closely but on match days she'll have the reins to go and do what she does best, which is to lead by example.

"I'll be wanting her input on pretty much everything really because it's her team and she's got to drive it forward."

Edwards and Sciver-Brunt's first assignment with England is a white-ball series against West Indies which begins on 21 May, and is followed by a series against India, who are then hosting the 50-over World Cup at the end of September.

Sciver-Brunt has previously led England in 11 T20s and once in one-day internationals, with nine of those being wins, but the side struggled when she stepped in for Knight during two notable high-pressure situations - the Commonwealth Games bronze medal match and last year's calamitous T20 World Cup group stage defeat by West Indies.

But Edwards said she had no concerns about those results, saying the criticism was "unjustified" and that it is difficult to dip in and out of captaincy in that way.

There had been some worries regarding Sciver-Brunt's workload with the captaincy, considering her importance as England's best batter and one of their most experienced bowlers, but Edwards said she was confident that she could relieve some of the pressure and allow her to focus on the on-field matters.

Another criticism of England's set-up - and another aspect which Edwards vowed to correct - has been the apparent lack of succession planning for leadership roles, considering the longevity of Knight's tenure.

"We're going to create a leadership group, and it might be different for different series and formats but it's something we are really buying into.

"We have got to make sure we are planning for the future and giving players experience, giving them a voice."

Edwards also confirmed that Knight would not be part of that leadership group, stating her desire for the former skipper to focus on enjoying the game again and just batting.

England faced criticism and scrutiny from their Ashes capitulation unlike ever before, with their off-field behaviour and attitude brought into question alongside the poor results.

Edwards acknowledged that the team would be changing their approach to social media and "looking at our professional behaviours", but added that in her short time in the role she had already noticed changes.

"It is going to be different and it should be, but that doesn't mean there's a right or wrong. It's just how Nat and I are going to do it," she said.

"The team has been used to a certain way of doing things, but they've been great so far and so receptive of everything we've talked about.

"I'm expecting us to move in the right direction quite quickly."