Edwards posed the question (earlier in the year he challenged young English players to fight for places) but did not panic.

Twelve players from this year’s team played in 2024. The same cricketers are playing better now.

But for all England’s promise, Australia will go into Sunday as favourites.

The 16-0 Ashes victory was just 18 months ago and, while England have won every World Cup held in this country, what is most relevant is Australia’s dominance in the biggest matches.

England have not beaten Australia in any of their five World Cup qualifying matches since the World T20 semi-final in 2009, when their player Tilly Corteen-Coleman was one year old.

Edwards was captain that day, as she was in England’s last Ashes win in 2014.

And the Australians, who have played in 10 World Cup finals since 2000 and lost only one, are not relying solely on the weight of history to carry them to a seventh T20 World Cup.

The great Ellyse Perry, who appears to be winning her race for fitness, said Edwards “wouldn’t allow” England to be beaten before taking the field.

“We haven’t really mentioned the Ashes too much,” captain Sophie Molineux said.

“We’ve probably seen some footage used in the Ashes, but in different conditions, and they were playing a different style of cricket.”

Sciver-Brunt was equally dismissive, although her words indicated that England’s mood had improved.

“The staff we have now is quite different, maybe not in who they are, but where we are as a team and what we’ve worked on,” Sciver-Brunt said.

“The feeling around the group is very different to that Ashes trip. I’m sure a lot of people have tried to forget how we felt.

“But we knew we needed to move forward and learn from that journey. There was a lot of hard work to do and how far we’ve come now.”

It means talk of the Ashes can wait, until the urn is up for grabs on these shores in 2027.

Sunday, with Lord’s sold out again, will be an epic occasion in its own right.

That Sunday in 2017 was about showing the growth of women’s football to the world, but we’re past that.

FIFA’s U-turn on Saturday morning means a compelling contest will get the attention it deserves rather than taking on football.

For England, it could usher in the Edwards era and give them a moment in the home of cricket that they deserve more than anyone.

Perhaps just as important is that, after the Ashes and everything that followed, win or lose, England are a team to believe in again.