Former England wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor will take on a breakthrough role with the men’s national team when she is appointed fielding coach for next month’s Test series against New Zealand.
Taylor, a 2017 World Cup winner, has been part of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s coaching structure for several years, and this winter worked as an assistant coach with the Australian Lions under Andrew Flintoff.
But her new role in Ben Stokes’ team is a turning point, with the 36-year-old marking the appointment of the oldest female coach of England’s main men’s team.
ECB managing director Rob Key confirmed to reporters: “Sarah Taylor will be playing a defensive role in this series.”
“She has done a lot of work with the Lions and we are incredibly impressed with her and the way she does her job.”
Key added: “She’s one of the best in the business at what she does.
“She’s worked with Andrew Flintoff and Ed Barney and they can’t praise her enough. She’s one of the best in the business, as far as we can see.”
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Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain look back at the revamped men’s squad ahead of the first New Zealand Test
This isn’t the first time Taylor has broken through a glass ceiling.
She was once dubbed “the world’s best wicketkeeper” by the great Adam Gilchrist, but Gilchrist has made it clear that she is making the statement without reference to gender, joining the Sussex coaching staff in 2021 to work with the keepers and six years ago picking up the gloves for the Northern Division, where she achieved the distinction of becoming the first woman to play women’s cricket for Australia.
She worked with Jamie Smith and James Lew in the trifecta against the Black Caps, while former defensive consultant Karl Hopkinson was involved with Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.
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Sky Sports’ James Cole analyzes England’s new-look squad ahead of first Test match against New Zealand
England squad for first Test against New Zealand
Ben Stokes (Durham) – Captain
Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire)
Gus Atkinson (Surrey)
Sonny Baker (Hampshire)
Shoaib Bashir (Derbyshire)
Jacob Bethel (Warwickshire)
Harry Brooke (Yorkshire)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Matthew Fisher (Surrey)
Emilio Gay (Durham)
James Lew (Somerset)
Olly Robinson (Sussex)
Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Jamie Smith (Surrey)
Josh Tan (Nottinghamshire)
England vs New Zealand match result
First Test (Thursday 4th June – Monday 8th June) – Lord’s, London (11am) Second Test (Wednesday 17th June – Sunday 21st June) – Keir Oval, London (11am) Third Test (Thursday 25th June – Monday 29th June) – Trent Bridge, Nottingham (11am)
Watch England’s home summer international summer fixtures live on Sky Sports, starting with the three-Test series against New Zealand from 4 June. Don’t watch Sky? Stream cricket without a contract now.
