England's greatest women's cricketer Charlotte Edwards was allegedly pushed into retirement by the ECB and new coach Mark Robinson as part of a 'new direction' for the team.
Charlotte Edwards, England's most capped women's cricketer and one of the all-time greats of the women's game, announced her retirement from international cricket in May 2016 under circumstances that many believed were not entirely voluntary. She was 36 at the time and still performing at a high level.
New head coach Mark Robinson had taken over the England women's team with a mandate to modernise the setup. Reports emerged that Edwards was told she would no longer be captain and that her place in the team was not guaranteed. Rather than accept a diminished role, Edwards chose to retire. Several of her close allies in the team, including Sarah Taylor, later spoke about the upheaval caused by the coaching change.
The ECB maintained that Edwards had made a personal decision to retire, but the cricket community was largely sceptical. Many felt that England's greatest servant in the women's game deserved better than to be effectively pushed out. The timing — shortly after Robinson's appointment and ahead of a home World Cup in 2017 — was seen as particularly harsh.
Robinson's new-look England team did go on to win the 2017 World Cup at Lord's, which somewhat vindicated the ECB's decision to pursue a new direction. However, the manner in which Edwards departed left a bitter taste and raised questions about how administrators handle the transitions of legendary players in women's cricket.
No formal investigation or action taken. Edwards retired with grace, but the episode is widely viewed as a mishandled end to a legendary career.
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