England Men’s fielding coach Sarah Taylor has transformed the national side’s wicketkeeping dynamics ahead of September’s white-ball series against Sri Lanka.
The former international wicketkeeper advised Jamie Smith to stand up to the stumps for medium-pacer Ollie Robinson during the Test summer, a structural shift that helped the bowler claim 23 international wickets.
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Now in her sixth year coaching men’s sides, Taylor’s technical trajectory spans Sussex, global franchise leagues, and the recent England Lions squad working alongside Andrew Flintoff. While public attention frequently centres on her gender, her coaching foundation is built on elite drill execution rather than the nuance Kevin Pietersen needs transitioning into his own high-performance role.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Cricinfo, published by CricTracker, Taylor addressed the broader visibility of her position.
“If this is now opening people’s eyes to realise that, ‘don’t you dare turn your eyes up at a woman coach’, and you look and see what they’re about, and what they can bring to a team as a human being,” she said.
The England and Wales Cricket Board has integrated her acute match reading directly into its planning. Speaking to The Independent, ECB managing director of men’s cricket Rob Key confirmed her immediate impact.
“We’ve been thoroughly, unbelievably impressed with her and the way that she goes about her business,” Key said.
Taylor will continue her strategic fielding work under white-ball head coach Brendon McCullum when England host Sri Lanka later this month.
