Sarah Taylor appointed England men’s Test fielding coach for New Zealand series

Former England women’s wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor has been appointed as England men’s Test fielding coach for the upcoming series against New Zealand national cricket team.

Taylor, who worked closely with Andrew Flintoff with the England Lions squad during the winter, has been appointed on a short-term basis to cover for Carl Hopkinson, who is currently on IPL duty with Mumbai Indians.

Her appointment was confirmed by England men’s managing director Rob Key following Wednesday’s announcement of the Test squad for the New Zealand series at Lord's Cricket Ground. The role marks another groundbreaking moment for Taylor, who turns 37 next week.

Widely regarded as one of the finest wicketkeepers in world cricket, regardless of gender, Taylor earned 226 international caps across all formats during a 13-year career with England women's cricket team. She also played a crucial role in England’s 2017 Women’s World Cup triumph.

Since retiring, Taylor has built an impressive coaching career, including spells with Sussex County Cricket Club and Manchester Originals in men’s cricket. Her latest appointment is believed to be the first time a female coach has joined a senior men’s international cricket team.

"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."

Taylor’s arrival also comes at a significant time for England after their fielding struggles during the recent The Ashes, where dropped catches proved costly in a 4-1 series defeat to Australia.

England dropped 11 catches during the series, with nearly one in every five chances going down. Their decision to tour Australia without a specialist fielding coach also drew criticism following the defeat.

Hopkinson was reappointed as fielding coach after the Ashes, while Troy Cooley returned as England’s first full-time bowling coach since Jon Lewis left the role in 2022.

"We've been thoroughly, unbelievably impressed with [Taylor] and the way that she goes about her business," Key said.

"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," he added.