Charlotte Edwards announced as PCA's first female President

Charlotte Edwards was announced the President of the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) – the first female to the post – for a period of two years, it was announced on Thursday (February 25). The former England captain takes over from Graham Gooch, who held the post since 2018.



“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,” said Edwards, who retired from international cricket in 2016.



“I think 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.”



“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.”



In 2014, Edwards was the recipient of the inaugural PCA Women’s Player of the Year award. She was also one of the first players to be awarded the central contract earlier that year. She also coached Southern Vipers to the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy title last year and is set to coach Southern Brave in the Hundred.



“I’ve always followed what the PCA are doing for the game, and in particular the work of the Professional Cricketers’ Trust, and I really do want to be as involved as I can be. The game has given me so much and now this is the perfect opportunity for me to give something back.”



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In the AGM, where Edwards was elected, James Harris and Anuj Dal were confirmed to be the chairperson and vice-chairperson respectively of the PCA.



“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 during the coming years,” said Harris.



“Whilst Charlotte’s election undoubtedly headlined this year’s AGM, the meeting once again provided an ideal opportunity for players to discuss key issues ahead of the coming season. In particular, it was exciting to ratify the expansion of the Players’ Committee to include the new women’s reps, illustrating our commitment to representing all of our members, and giving us clarity on the PCA’s structure and processes ahead of a momentous season for the English game.”



It was also announced that Alex Hartley (Thunder and Northern Diamonds), Sophie Luff (Western Storm and Central Sparks), Tara Norris (Southern Vipers and South East Stars) and Naomi Dattani (Sunrisers and Lightning) will be the female representatives for the eight regions. There is also a new Women’s Player Committee in place to help provide a strong voice for women’s cricket.