Sarah Taylor has been appointed as England men’s Test team fielding coach for the upcoming series against New Zealand, marking another significant milestone in her coaching career and a historic moment for English cricket. Taylor becomes the first woman to coach the England men’s side in a major sport.
The former England wicketkeeper will join the squad on a short-term basis while regular fielding coach Carl Hopkinson remains committed to Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Mumbai Indians. Taylor’s appointment was confirmed by England men’s managing director Rob Key following the announcement of the Test squad for the opening match against New Zealand at Lord’s.
Taylor, who enjoyed a celebrated international career with England Women, has spent recent months working closely with Andrew Flintoff and the England Lions setup. Her performances within the coaching structure reportedly impressed senior management, who believe her expertise can help strengthen England’s fielding standards after a disappointing Ashes campaign.
“I just think she’s one of the best in the business at what she does,” Key said. “She’s been outstanding, and she’s worked a lot with 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.”
England’s fielding came under heavy scrutiny during the Ashes defeat in Australia, where dropped catches and missed opportunities proved costly throughout the five-match series. Questions were also raised about the team’s preparation after England traveled without a specialist fielding coach.
In response, the ECB reshaped parts of the coaching staff ahead of the home summer, with Hopkinson returning to the setup and Troy Cooley rejoining as bowling coach. However, Hopkinson’s IPL commitments created an opening that allowed Taylor to step into the role for the New Zealand series. “We’ve been thoroughly, unbelievably impressed with (Taylor) and the way that she goes about her business,” Key said.
Taylor remains one of the most respected cricketers produced by England Women. During a 13-year international career, she earned 226 caps across formats and played a major role in England’s 2017 Women’s World Cup triumph. Widely regarded as one of the finest wicketkeepers in the game, she built her reputation through exceptional reflexes, sharp glovework and aggressive batting.
Since retiring from international cricket, Taylor has steadily expanded her coaching credentials through roles with Sussex and Manchester Originals, gaining valuable experience in men’s domestic cricket environments. Her latest appointment is expected to be viewed as a landmark moment for female representation in elite men’s cricket coaching.
Key also highlighted the growing challenge of balancing international coaching schedules with franchise cricket commitments around the world. “Carl Hopkinson, as is the nature of the cricket world that we have at the moment, he’s working with Mumbai Indians. He has a lot of stuff that he does for them, so we’ll still use him at some point, just not for this series,” Key said.
England begin their home Test season against New Zealand at Lord’s later this summer, with Taylor set to join the coaching group in the lead-up to the series.
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