Former England wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor will take on a ground-breaking role with the men’s national side after being appointed as fielding coach for next month’s Test series against New Zealand.
Taylor, a World Cup winner in 2017, has been part of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s coaching set-up for a couple of years and worked as an assistant coach for the Lions in Australia this winter under Andrew Flintoff.
But her new role with Ben Stokes’ side is a watershed moment, marking the 36-year-old out as the most senior female coaching appointment for a major England men’s team.
“Sarah Taylor will take on a fielding role in this series,” ECB managing director Rob Key confirmed to reporters.
“She’s done a lot of work with the Lions, we’ve been unbelievably impressed with her and the way she goes about her business.”
Key added: “She is one of the best in the business at what she does.
“She’s worked with Andrew Flintoff and Ed Barney, they can’t speak highly enough of her. From what we can see, she is one of the best in the business.”
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Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain review the men’s refreshed squad for the first New Zealand Test
It is not the first time Taylor has smashed through glass ceilings.
She was once called ‘the best wicketkeeper in the world’ by the great Adam Gilchrist, who made it clear he was speaking without reference to gender, joined the Sussex coaching staff in 2021 to work with their keepers and six years earlier earned the distinction of becoming the first woman to play first-grade cricket in Australia when she took the gloves for Northern Districts.
She will work with Jamie Smith and James Rew in the three-match series against the Black Caps, with previous fielding consultant Carl Hopkinson involved at the Indian Premier League with Mumbai Indians.
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Sky Sports’ James Cole analyses England’s new look squad for their first Test match against New Zealand
England squad for first Test vs New Zealand
Ben Stokes (Durham) – Captain
Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire)
Gus Atkinson (Surrey)
Sonny Baker (Hampshire)
Shoaib Bashir (Derbyshire)
Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire)
Harry Brook (Yorkshire)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Matthew Fisher (Surrey)
Emilio Gay (Durham)
James Rew (Somerset)
Ollie Robinson (Sussex)
Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Jamie Smith (Surrey)
Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire)
England vs New Zealand fixtures
First Test (Thursday June 4 – Monday June 8) – Lord’s, London (11am)Second Test (Wednesday June 17 – Sunday June 21) – The Kia Oval, London (11am)Third Test (Thursday June 25 – Monday June 29) – Trent Bridge, Nottingham (11am)
Watch England’s home international summer live on Sky Sports, starting with a three-Test series against New Zealand from June 4. Not got Sky? Stream cricket contract-free on NOW.
