Sarah Taylor joins Manchester Originals as men's assistant coach

Sarah Taylor, the former England wicketkeeper, says that more female coaches would "benefit the game as a whole", after joining Manchester Originals as an assistant coach for this year's Men's Hundred.

Taylor, who is widely regarded as one of the best wicketkeepers in the history of the game, male or female, has been working with Sussex's men's squad as a specialist keeping coach since the start of 2021, and more recently took up a role with Team Abu Dhabi in the Abu Dhabi T10.

Her appointment comes after a playing role with Welsh Fire in last season's inaugural competition, when she came out of retirement to also feature for Northern Diamonds in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.

While she admitted to the BBC that she had been tempted to continue with her on-field career, Taylor also recognised she would be "stupid to turn down" the chance to enhance her coaching credentials with another high-profile appointment.

"These roles are coming around now and any woman that gets offered an opportunity, they should take it with open arms," Taylor said. "I'm extremely grateful to Manchester for giving me this opportunity.

"There is no rush for me. I'm still young enough and fit enough to play, so if an opportunity comes around I will absolutely consider it. But right now coaching is the opportunity I was happy with, so I'm going down this route."

Taylor will be working under head coach Simon Katich, and alongside her fellow World Cup-winning wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, one of 11 men's squad players to be retained by Manchester. Other England players in the set-up include Ollie Robinson, Matt Parkinson and Phil Salt - with whom Taylor has previously worked at Sussex.

"I fell into the men's game and I'm taking every opportunity I can to keep learning," Taylor added. "We have to keep pushing. There are some brilliant women's coaches out there and I hope they get recognised, in the male or female game."

Although her primary role will be with the men's squad, Taylor will also work with the Manchester women's set-up when the chance arises - including her former England team-mates Kate Cross and Sophie Ecclestone, and South Africa's Lizelle Lee.

"I absolutely loved playing last year," Taylor added of the Hundred experience. "It's an exciting tournament and I loved how the boys and girls were treated as one unit."