Ebony Rainford-Brent has tipped Salliann Beams and Jonathan Batty as leading candidates to take over as head coach of England Women and help the team conquer rivals Australia.
Lisa Keightley departed last month after two-and-a-half-years in the job after deciding not to pursue a new deal.
Rainford-Brent believes Keightley leaves with her head held high having overseen the introduction of a host of fresh blood, including the likes of Alice Capsey, Sophia Dunkley, Freya Kemp, Lauren Bell and Charlie Dean, but the Australian was largely unable to chip away at the dominance of her compatriots during her reign.
With a home Ashes just eight months away, that is the top priority for her successor and World Cup-winner Rainford-Brent has her eye on two possible options.
Former England international Beams is highly respected Down Under, where she spent four years as Hobart Hurricanes coach in the WBBL and is current high performance manager at Cricket Tasmania. Meanwhile Batty, who made his name as a wicketkeeper with Surrey, has masterminded back-to-back titles for Oval Invincibles in the women’s edition of The Hundred.
“Lisa is a massive loss, she has been a real win as England coach and she’s given young players freedom by empowering them. She leaves a strong England team and a good culture,” Rainford-Brent told the PA news agency.
“Salliann has been in Australia for a long time and it felt when she left like a bit of a talent drain. But it does mean she is immersed in their mindset, their culture and has a real understanding of how they play their cricket.
“Beating Australia is going to be more about the mental side than tactics or game plans. I’m intrigued by Jon too, he’s won two trophies in The Hundred and he played high-quality men’s cricket. He has a killer instinct. I hope they both put their names forward because we’ll need someone strong to take down those Aussies.”
Rainford-Brent, who was the first black woman to play for England in 2001, was speaking at the unveiling of the LV= Insurance Media Diversity Grant. Shubi Arun, a 24-year-old student from London, has been selected to take up a five-month fully paid internship in the cricket media next summer.
Rainford-Brent has worked extensively on broadening the demographic of those playing the professional game through her involvement in the ACE program and welcomes similar efforts on the other side of the ropes.
“This award is exactly what our games needs to see, it helps to see the game from different angles and opening that door makes a massive impact,” she said.
“To see people who represent you involved in the game is huge. I hear those stories every day through ACE, kids as young as eight telling you how it feels to see someone like them means so much.
“Sport needs to represent the whole melting pot of society.”
