Former England Women cricketer Sarah Taylor will join Sussex men's team as the wicketkeeping coach while former Leicestershire cricketer Ashley Wright will assist Sussex batting coach Jason Swift.
Taylor is regarded as one of the greatest wicketkeepers in cricket if not the greatest. Statistically speaking, she has the most number of dismissals by a wicketkeeper among women - 227 dismissals in 226 matches. She also has 6,533 runs in international cricket including 7 centuries and 36 half-centuries.
She will be guiding the likes of Phil Salt and Ben Brown at Sussex. Taylor is excited to work with the wicketkeepers at Sussex and to share her experience and expertise with them. Both Taylor and Wright will also be working with Sussex Pathway on a part-time basis.
Sarah Taylor said in a statement, “I'm really pleased about working with the club's wicketkeepers. From Ben Brown and Phil Salt in the professional squad and down through the pathway, we have a really talented group of keepers at Sussex who I am looking forward to working with immensely.”
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“I want to share my experience and expertise to help them get the most out of their game. I'm a big believer in keeping things simple and perfecting the basics so that players can enjoy and express themselves with the gloves,” she added.
Ashley Wright, now a level 4 coach, is a specialist in human movement and biomechanics. His experience as a coach with Guernsey, Surrey, and Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) franchise, Rajshahi Kings will help him in his stint with Sussex.
Wright said, “I am honored to be part of the Sussex coaching team, working as the professional batting support, and equally thrilled to be working with a very talented group of young batters in the pathway.”
Ian Salisbury, Sussex's joint men's head coach, has explained the duo’s addition to the coaching staff in providing more Sussex players to the England national cricket team.
Salisbury said, “As with everything we do, the decision to add Sarah and Ash to our coaching staff is based on our strategic aim to produce homegrown or 'Sussex-fied' players who will ensure the club is competing in all formats and providing as many players for England as possible in the future.”
“They both bring a huge amount of cricketing knowledge, skill and experience, as well as a fantastic work ethic, to the entirety of our player pathway. Equally as important, Sarah and Ash both fit our mantra of coaching the whole person, not just the cricketer very well,” he added.
(With ANI inputs)
