Cliff Notes – Charlie Dean: ‘Whether I’m ready for leadership, I’m not sure’
- Charlie Dean, a 24-year-old offspinning allrounder with 82 England caps, is emerging as a potential candidate for England Women’s captaincy following Heather Knight’s departure, despite her quiet demeanor.
- Dean acknowledges her growth in leadership roles but remains uncertain about her readiness for captaincy, emphasising the need for collective leadership within the team.
Charlie Dean: ‘Whether I’m ready for leadership, I’m not sure’
Valkerie Baynes
CloseValkerie Baynes is a general editor at ESPNcricinfoMar 27, 2025, 02:32 PM
Heather Knight’s departure as England Women’s captain last week inevitably sent a set of names fluttering around with absolutely no conviction as her replacement and all carried more arguments against than for.
But there is a name, spoken more quietly than the others – much like herself, which is perhaps why she hasn’t gained more traction in the debate: Charlie Dean.
A 24-year-old offspinning allrounder with 82 England caps, Dean is a new recruit for Somerset in Tier 1 of the rebuilt women’s domestic structure, a competition which has among its chief functions producing and nurturing national-team players.
She has bought a house in the area, becoming what she describes as a “real adult” in the process, after coming up through the ranks at Hampshire Women and Southern Vipers.
“This is a very young team and the set-up down here is brilliant,” Dean told ESPNcricinfo at Somerset’s pre-season media day. “That really brought me in to potentially play a role with bat and ball and hopefully have some match-winning contributions. Changing to the county system, it was almost the perfect time for that transition.”
Sophie Luff is captain at Somerset, where Knight will also play, which limits Dean’s opportunities to further develop her leadership skills.
There is also a question over whether England can pin the captaincy on their second-choice spinner. Dean forms part of a three-pronged spin attack with Sophie Ecclestone and Sarah Glenn which was expected to do great things at the T20 World Cup but, along with other departments – including fielding in particular – fell short as England were knocked out in the group stage.
“It’s nice to be held in high regard in that way,” Dean said of talk about her taking on the England captaincy. “If I’m learning and getting better and growing into leadership roles when the opportunity comes, I encourage that. Whether I’m ready for that yet, I’m not sure, but it’s nice to be held in those conversations. I think I’ve still got a bit of growth to go.”
Let’s look at the names already out there.
Nat Sciver-Brunt, the current vice-captain, has expressed predictable willing when asked but didn’t fully grasp the role in England’s time of need when Knight went down with a calf injury during their T20 World Cup exit, and was also found wanting when, with Knight again injured, the side fell short of a medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2022.
Amy Jones, thrust into the role when Knight was injured and Sciver-Brunt was taking a mental wellbeing break later in that 2022 season, said at the time that on-field leadership was “definitely not something that comes naturally to me”.
Ecclestone, also part of the team’s leadership group under Knight, shoulders huge responsibility in the bowling attack and might need to polish her technique in interviews – when she gives them. Her apparent refusal to talk to former team-mate turned commentator Alex Hartley during the ill-fated Ashes tour has been frowned upon by the management.
Grace Scrivens, the former England Under-19 and Sunrisers captain, is set to lead Essex in the new era of domestic cricket. Earlier this week, she captained England A to victory in the first T20I in Australia, but is just 21 and hasn’t played a senior game for her country. Without massive buy-in from all of the above, what hope does she have to exert influence and control on a team buckling under what senior bowler Kate Cross described recently as “cultural” issues?
Tammy Beaumont, the hugely experienced opening batter, would be an excellent choice but realistically only for a limited time at the age of 34. It doesn’t help that she has hasn’t managed to regain her place in the T20I line-up.
And yet, while Dean is adding her voice to those not jumping at the England captaincy, and hasn’t spoken to anyone at the ECB about the prospect, her quiet, thoughtful manner has a knack of encouraging people to listen.
Charlie Dean and Sophie Ecclestone added 67 for the eighth wicket Gallo Images/Getty Images
Plus, she has some experience, having captained London Spirit during the same Knight absence that thrust Jones into the England role briefly, and she has also led the England A side.
Dean said she was shocked by Knight’s removal as England skipper in the wake of the 16-0 Ashes drubbing after nine years in the role.
While the pair will be team-mates at Somerset, there is a further line of symmetry – through her long association with Southern Vipers and Hampshire – with Charlotte Edwards, the favourite to replace England head coach Jon Lewis, who lost his job the day before Knight.
The ECB haven’t given a timeline for naming a replacement captain or coach but, in the meantime, there is a chance for candidates to make their cases.
“There’s probably been statements that there are no other natural leaders in our team,” Dean said. “I think everyone leads in their own way. It’s now a great opportunity for those people to come through and hold their hands up.
“Everyone’s had their specific role with Heather – Nat as vice-captain and Amy and Sophie Ecclestone all had their roles on the pitch. We’re not shy of those characters, but it’s almost giving more opportunities for them to, I guess, flourish in roles that maybe aren’t as natural.
“It came as a bit of a shock to me. So it’ll be interesting how this next year goes.”
And Dean, part of England’s ill-fated Ashes campaign, admits there’s only one acceptable direction of travel.
“Well, the only way’s up isn’t it, in terms of performances? It’s just a sense of excitement and feel that there’s maybe a new era coming,” she said. “Impressing the new head coach is probably the way you go about it.
“cricket‘s always full of up and downs, isn’t it? You can score a hundred one week and then get a duck the next. So it’s always humbling. We’ve maybe been humbled a bit more than we wanted to be this winter, which is disappointing, and you can’t look past that.
“We didn’t perform as well as we wanted to, but I think that also brings in a sense of refreshment and renewal. You can draw a line under that and look towards putting in some good performances for your county before the England international stuff picks up again. It’s a great opportunity to assess where you’re at with domestic talent in this country, and put a line in the sand and just concentrate on getting better and performing.”
