Southern Vipers coach Charlotte Edwards becomes first female president of the Professional Cricketers’ Association

Former England captain Charlotte Edwards has become the first female president of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, taking the reins from the outgoing Graham Gooch.
Charlotte Edwards with the Kia Women's Super League trophy after Southern Vipers' win in 2016. Photo by Daniel Smith/Getty Images for ECB.Charlotte Edwards with the Kia Women's Super League trophy after Southern Vipers' win in 2016. Photo by Daniel Smith/Getty Images for ECB.
Charlotte Edwards with the Kia Women's Super League trophy after Southern Vipers' win in 2016. Photo by Daniel Smith/Getty Images for ECB.

The Southern Vipers head coach, who made more than 300 appearances in her international career between 1996 and 2016, takes the role at the players’ union for an initial two-year term after being elected at today’s annual general meeting.

She said: ‘I’m hugely honoured to be given such a prestigious title in being the president of the PCA. It’s an exciting time for women’s cricket and I’m really excited about what I can bring to the role.’

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A four-time Ashes winner, Edwards was England captain when they won both limited-overs World Cups in 2009, while she remains the country’s leading run-scorer in both women’s one-day internationals and Twenty20s.

Edwards, who will also coach the Southern Brave women’s side in this summer’s Hundred tournament, was among the first cricketers to be handed a central contract in 2014.

She takes up her new position just a few months after the England and Wales Cricket Board gave full-time domestic deals to 41 female players.

She added: ‘The introduction of 41 new female members to the PCA has shown it’s the right time to have a female PCA president, but I’m passionate about looking after the interests of the men’s game as well in order to help cricket thrive as a whole.

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‘I’ve done a lot of work with the PCA, on and off the field, and it’s been quite the journey from being an amateur to becoming a PCA member in 2011 and now helping to support the next generation of players in this role.

‘The game has given me so much and now this is the perfect opportunity for me to give something back.’

Gooch has been in the position since 2018 after succeeding Andrew Flintoff.

PCA chair James Harris said: ‘There is huge respect amongst the PCA membership for what Charlotte has achieved in the game, so I’m delighted to have the opportunity to work with her to drive forward the aims of the PCA.’