Former wicketkeeper becomes first woman to coach England men's side in major sport

Sarah Taylor has been appointed as England's fielding coach for the forthcoming Test series against New Zealand, a role which makes her the first female coach of an England men's team in any major sport.

The 36-year-old former wicketkeeper will take up her position ahead of the opening Test at Lord's on June 4.

Taylor played for England on 226 occasions between 2006 and 2019, establishing herself as one of the finest gloveworkers in the history of the game.

"I love being a trailblazer but without the attention," Taylor told BBC Sport last winter.

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She added: "I want to see how far I can go, and work with some of the best players that I can."

Her coaching credentials are well established, having worked with Sussex, Manchester Originals and the England Lions, where she spent time this winter.

Rob Key, England's managing director of men's cricket, backed the appointment of Taylor.

He said: "She's one of the best in the business at what she does.

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"She's been outstanding, and she's worked a lot with [Lions head coach] 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."

The appointment comes as England prepare for their first Test match since a disappointing Ashes campaign in Australia.

During that series, the team came under criticism for lacking a dedicated fielding coach on its staff, with dropped catches at pivotal moments drawing particular scrutiny.

Questions surrounding the professionalism of the setup extended beyond fielding, with allegations of excessive alcohol consumption among the squad.

The Ashes tour prompted wider concerns about tactical decisions and the positions of both Key and head coach Brendon McCullum.

A curfew implemented during January's white-ball tour of Sri Lanka will remain in effect for the New Zealand series.

McCullum, who has been on a break since the T20 World Cup concluded in March, will rejoin the squad when they gather for a three-day training camp at Loughborough beginning May 25.

The squad features pace bowler Ollie Robinson alongside uncapped players James Rew, Emilio Gay and Sonny Baker.

Tim Southee, the former New Zealand seamer, will miss the camp but returns as bowling coach for the series against his old team.

When asked about changes to the setup, Key said: "What we want is to have players to go out and play their best game.

"You do not want to see what has made Harry Brook go to number one in the world change. You just want him to refine."

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