Michael Atherton, the veteran commentator for Sky Sports Cricket, believes that England’s women’s side possesses the depth and quality required to mount a serious challenge for the Women’s T20 World Cup when it returns to English soil this summer. While the Lionesses have not lifted the T20 trophy since they hosted the event in 2009, and suffered early exits in both the 2010 and 2024 editions, Atherton is confident that a new generation of players, combined with fresh leadership, can put the team back in the mix for the 2026 tournament.
Atherton pointed out that England’s last triumph on home ground came in 2009, giving the side a natural advantage when playing in familiar conditions. However, he also warned that the privilege of a home tournament brings heightened scrutiny, media pressure and public expectation. "It’s a long time ago, but the last time it was held here in England, England won it, so there’s that natural home advantage, but with it being at home comes a little bit of added scrutiny and pressure as well, inevitably," he said.
The upcoming squad will be revealed by head coach Charlotte Edwards on Tuesday. Despite a period of under‑performance – the team has not won an ICC trophy since their 2017 50‑over World Cup victory – Atherton feels the new management team, captain and coaching staff have laid a solid foundation. "England have got terrific players.
They’re under new management, new captain, new coach. Charlotte Edwards will have them well drilled, I have no doubt about that.
They’ve got plenty of strength in depth and some top‑class players, so they should be in the shake‑up," he asserted. He acknowledged the increasing competitiveness of the global women’s game.
"It’s a hard tournament to call. There are some very good teams.
I think the standard across the board is improving all the time, so it’s getting more competitive. Obviously Australia are going to be a very tough team to beat.
But England with home advantage and some good players should be in the shake‑up," Atherton added. When asked which England players are most likely to make a difference, Atherton highlighted captain Nat Sciver‑Brunt as the cornerstone of the side. "I’ve got to go with the captain, Nat Sciver‑Brunt.
It’s very important at a home tournament, with a lot of scrutiny, a lot of pressure, a lot of expectation. The captain and the leader as a driving force and obviously one of the best players as well, which Nat Sciver‑Brunt is," he said.
He also singled out opening bowler Lauren Bell, noting that English conditions favour bowlers who can extract movement with the new ball. "Opening bowler Lauren Bell, in English conditions, opening bowling, it’s very important to find that movement with the new ball," Athreed emphasized. A younger talent who caught Atherton’s eye during The Hundred was all‑rounder Devina Perrin, who smashed a brilliant century at the Oval in the eliminator match. "A player who really took my eye last year in The Hundred, Devina Perrin, who made that brilliant 100 at the Oval in the eliminator – the game before the final – I expect to see a young player like her just really say: ‘This is my time,’" he said.
England’s ambitions are echoed by captain Heather Knight, who told Sky Sports that the team hopes to create a lasting legacy for women’s cricket in the country. She noted that the landscape of women’s sport has shifted dramatically since the Lionesses’ 2017 World Cup win, pointing to the success of England’s women’s football and rugby teams – the Lionesses winning back‑to‑back European Championships in 2022 and 2025, and the Red Roses clinching the Rugby World Cup at a packed Twickenham last September. Knight explained that the upcoming World Cup offers a unique platform to inspire the next generation.
"Home support was huge for us in 2017, the way the crowds built and the final at Lord’s, it’s super special. It’s a chance to have a real impact on the sport in your country and leave a legacy. If we do our job right and have success this summer we can leave a real legacy on the sport of women’s cricket in this country," she said. She also highlighted the professionalisation of the domestic game, which has made a career in women’s cricket more viable and visible than ever before.
"It took a little bit of time for that success to see changes and I think the landscape is very different now – particularly in women’s cricket – there’s the structure beneath the game, the domestic game’s professional. It’s a lot more normal to be a women’s cricketer, there’s a lot more visibility. You’d hope now if we have that success and things go well for us the structures are in place to make the most of it and really make it a huge moment," Knight added.
Both Atherton and Knight agree that the goal is not merely to win matches but to embed women’s cricket into the national sporting consciousness. "We want to do something similar and hopefully inspire kids to make a girl in cricket really normal and really great," Knight concluded. With the squad announcement imminent, England fans will be watching closely to see how Charlotte Edwards blends experience with emerging talent.
If the Lionesses can harness their home advantage, manage the pressure, and deliver performances from the likes of Sciver‑Brunt, Bell, Perrin and a host of other promising players, they could well rewrite the narrative of recent World Cup disappointments and become genuine contenders for the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup title.