Former England wicket-keeper batter Sarah Taylor has been named as fielding coach for the men’s side for the upcoming Test series against New Zealand, becoming the first woman to join the coaching staff of the senior men’s national team.
Taylor, a key member of England’s 2017 World Cup-winning squad, has been involved with the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) coaching setup over the past few years. She has served as the coach of the England Lions in Australia during their recent tour of Australia under Andrew Flintoff.
The 35-year-old will take up the role on a temporary basis in the absence of regular fielding coach Carl Hopkinson, who is currently working with the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
England managing director Rob Key praised Sarah Taylor following her appointment, describing her as one of the finest coaches in the game.
“She’s one of the best in the business at what she does,” said England’s managing director of men’s cricket Rob Key.
Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel
“She’s been outstanding, and she’s worked a lot with [Lions head coach] Andrew Flintoff and Ed Barney [performance director].
“They can’t speak highly enough of her. So from what we can see, she’s one of the best in the business.”
Key also hinted that Taylor could continue working with the men’s setup beyond the New Zealand series.
Widely regarded as the one of the best wicket-keepers to have played the game, Taylor represented England in 226 matches between 2006 and 2019.
Earlier on Wednesday, former Australian batter Marcus North was also named as the new national selector. North joins the ECB from county side Durham, where he has been the director of cricket since October 2018.
England Test squad: Ben Stokes (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, James Rew (wkt), Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wkt), Josh Tongue
READ: WATCH: Shahid Afridi conferred with Hilal-e-Imtiaz award