Sarah Taylor, the former England wicketkeeper, has been appointed as the fielding coach for the men's Test squad ahead of the three-match series against New Zealand starting on 4 June at Lord's. She becomes the first female coach to work in the senior men's setup.
Taylor, 36, has previously held roles with Sussex men and Manchester Originals in the Hundred, and has been part of the Lions coaching setup since late 2024. England men's team director Rob Key said: 'We've been unbelievably impressed with her and the way she goes about her business.' Her appointment is initially for the New Zealand series but may extend through the summer.
The announcement came alongside the naming of three uncapped players in the Test squad: opener Emilio Gay, batter James Rew, and fast bowler Sonny Baker. Gay, 26, averages 92 this season and has turned down an approach from West Indies. Rew, 22, has 12 centuries for Somerset and will serve as spare batter and backup wicketkeeper. Baker has impressed with his pace at Hampshire.
Ollie Robinson returns to the squad after being ignored since early 2024 due to fitness concerns. Key said: 'When Ollie Robinson is fit and bowling at a decent pace – around 82mph – he is world class.' Robinson is one of six seamers in the squad, alongside captain Ben Stokes.
Zak Crawley has been dropped after a Test average of 31 from 64 caps, the lowest of any Test opener with more than 3,000 runs. The selection panel, now including former Australia batter Marcus North as a full-time selector, has also retained Shoaib Bashir and included leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed as spin options.
