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

Former England women’s wicketkeeper, Sarah Taylor, has been appointed fielding coach of their national men’s team for the upcoming series against New Zealand. Taylor is filling in the shoes of Carl Hopkinson on a short-term basis, who is currently on IPL duty with Mumbai Indians (MI).

She worked extensively with Andrew Flintoff in the England Lions squad earlier this year. England men's director of cricket, Rob Key, confirmed Taylor’s role while announcing the Test squad to face New Zealand, and it’s another major milestone for the legendary wicketkeeper.

Taylor was considered one of the best wicketkeepers of her time, having registered 232 dismissals in her career in 226 international appearances for England. Her appointment with the England men’s Test team is likely to be the first time a female coach will be working with a senior men's international team.

However, it won’t be the first time that Taylor will be coaching a men’s team, having had prior stints with Sussex and Manchester Originals men's side. Rob Key was thrilled at her appointment, calling her the best in the business.

"I just think she's one of the best in the business at what she does. 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,” Key was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

England vs New Zealand series begins on June 4

England’s fielding lapses were highlighted during their 1-4 Ashes series loss in Australia earlier this year. They dropped 11 catches across five Tests. Moreover, their decision to travel to Australia without a specialist fielding coach was widely slammed in the aftermath of the series.

Carl Hopkinson was reappointed as fielding coach after the Ashes, and Troy Cooley also returned as their first full-time bowling coach since Jon Lewis left the role in 2022. Meanwhile, England are set to play New Zealand in a three-match Test series, beginning on June 4.