New Delhi, Oct 14 (IANS) Alice Capsey believes England’s unbeaten run at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 is being fuelled by the pain of their Ashes whitewash earlier this year, as the team looks to reclaim pride and rebuild under new leadership.

England endured a bruising campaign Down Under in January and February, losing across all formats as Australia retained the Ashes for the sixth successive time. The series defeat prompted sweeping changes, with Charlotte Edwards taking over as head coach and Nat Sciver-Brunt replacing Heather Knight as captain.

Reflecting on the team’s transformation since then, Capsey admitted that the Ashes experience had served as a turning point for the squad.

“The Ashes was a tour where none of us were proud of our performance on the pitch,” Capsey told Sky Sports. “It was a chance to reflect as a group. There have been changes in leadership and how they want the team to operate. It’s been a chance to draw a line and build momentum. We were all part of that experience and don’t want to go through it again.”

England have since shown remarkable consistency, winning their first three matches at the World Cup to sit firmly in contention for the semifinals. Capsey said the change in mood within the dressing room has been stark.

“The mood now is completely different – confidence is high and there’s real determination to make our mark on this tournament, doing it our way and trusting the process,” she explained. “Lottie and Nat have only been in charge for six months, so we’re still learning how to apply that in games. Each match has taught us something new, which is exciting.”

Edwards’ side now face a challenging run-in with India and Australia next up, before finishing the group stage against New Zealand. But Capsey believes the team’s newfound discipline and focus on fine details are helping them thrive under pressure.

“What I’ve taken from it is the determination to be the one – when you’re on top, really kill the game, and when our backs are against the wall, it just takes one moment to bring control back,” she said. “We’ve shown that throughout the tournament. Even after losing clusters of wickets, no one’s panicked.”

Capsey also highlighted England’s balance and composure across departments, with both bat and ball contributing to their success.

“As a batting unit, we know how we want to build our innings and be consistent with our scoring. As a bowling unit, we’ve controlled games well – sticking to our plans and showing the level-headedness Nat brings,” she said. “There’s still room for improvement. We’ve had one top-six batter really make a mark in each game, like Nat’s hundred the other day, but we’ve talked about turning 20s and 30s into 60s and 70s and getting more contributors at the top.”

The all-rounder praised England’s depth in attack, particularly the spin department, where Sophie Ecclestone continues to lead the charge.

“Our spin attack is world-class, and the seamers are chipping in too. It’s a great place to be – three from three and still focused on the one-percenters we can improve heading into the next game.”

England’s next challenge is against Pakistan, who are still searching for their first points of the tournament after defeats to Bangladesh, India and Australia. Despite Pakistan’s winless run, Capsey warned that they remain a dangerous opponent.

“They may not have won a game so far but they’re definitely not a team we’re taking lightly,” she said. “They’ve obviously not got the results they were after, but they’ve been in some really dominating positions.”

–IANS

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