Former England wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor has been named as the fielding coach for the senior men\u2019s Test team ahead of the upcoming series against New Zealand. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Director of Cricket Rob Key praised Taylor\u2019s impact, describing her as \u201cone of the best in the business\u201d for the role. The 37-year-old will step into the men\u2019s setup on a short-term arrangement specifically for the New Zealand Tests.<\/p>\n
Taylor is widely regarded as one of the standout figures in the history of women\u2019s cricket. Her appointment now brings her into the Test environment at the highest level, building on previous coaching and support roles. Before this new assignment, she worked with England Lions under Andrew Flintoff, and she has also been involved with men\u2019s cricket programmes including a stint with Sussex and work with Manchester Originals.<\/p>\n
England\u2019s current fielding coach Carl Hopkinson will not be part of the Test camp for this series, with Key pointing to Hopkinson\u2019s ongoing IPL commitments with Mumbai Indians as the reason for his unavailability. In the meantime, Taylor\u2019s skills are set to be put to use as England prepare for the conditions and demands of Test cricket against New Zealand.<\/p>\n
Speaking on Wednesday, Rob Key said the ECB was impressed by Taylor\u2019s coaching methods and the way she approaches her work. Key highlighted her experience working alongside Andrew Flintoff and Ed Barney, the performance director, adding that the feedback about her has been consistently positive. \u201cI just think she\u2019s one of the best in the business at what she does. She\u2019s been outstanding,\u201d Key said to reporters. He also noted the organisation\u2019s strong view of Taylor\u2019s standards and preparation, adding: \u201cWe\u2019ve been thoroughly, unbelievably impressed with (Taylor) and the way that she goes about her business.\u201d<\/p>\n
Key further explained why Hopkinson will be absent for the New Zealand series. \u201cCarl Hopkinson, as is the nature of the cricket world that we have at the moment, he\u2019s working with Mumbai Indians,\u201d Key said. \u201cHe has a lot of stuff that he does for them, so we\u2019ll still use him at some point, just not for this series.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taylor\u2019s playing career remains one of the most decorated in the women\u2019s game. She turned out for England in 226 international matches across formats and is still regarded as one of the finest wicketkeepers produced by women\u2019s cricket. Her move into the men\u2019s Test coaching group underscores how highly her expertise is valued at the highest levels of the sport.<\/p>\n
Alongside Taylor\u2019s appointment, England have also announced their squad for next month\u2019s opening Test against New Zealand at Lord\u2019s. The selection comes after a disappointing 4-1 Ashes defeat earlier this year, with England looking to respond quickly in the first Test of the new series.<\/p>\n
Zak Crawley has been left out following a run of poor form. Durham opener Emilio Gay receives a maiden call-up and is expected to be used as a specialist batter at the top of the order. Hampshire fast bowler Sonny Baker and Somerset wicketkeeper-batter James Rew are the other uncapped players in the 15-man group.<\/p>\n
Fast bowler Ollie Robinson returns to the England Test setup after spending two years away from the side, while leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed has also been recalled. England squad for first Test vs New Zealand: Ben Stokes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, James Rew (wk), Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Former England wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor has been named as the fielding coach for the senior men\u2019s Test team ahead of the upcoming series against New…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9552,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Sarah Taylor Appointed England Test Fielding Coach vs NZ","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Sarah Taylor joins England\u2019s men\u2019s Test staff as fielding coach for the NZ series, with Rob Key praising her impact and expertise.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n