Having stood down as England women's head coach last summer after the Covid pandemic prevented her from seeing her family in Australia, Lisa Keightley had every intention of taking a break and spending some time at home in Perth.
However, soon after leaving her post with England she received a call from Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara, who is now the director of cricket for IPL side Rajasthan Royals and all other Royals franchises, inviting her to be part of the coaching staff at SA20 side Paarl Royals.
Keightley jumped at the chance to work in men's cricket for the first time, with the likes of Jos Buttler, Eoin Morgan, Jason Roy and David Miller in the Royals squad along with a number of other international stars.
"Kumar said he wanted a different set of eyes to come into the game and felt my experience and knowledge in the women's game, where I'd played and coached for a long time, would be great to get involved," Keightley told the Telegraph.
"He wanted to see things differently than another male coach might have. I get stuck in, I throw, catch and hit balls on game days and at training, and I talk to the players exactly the same way I talk to any cricketer.
"I came in not knowing what to expect but have loved every minute. Everything is physically at a quicker pace than I am used to, but there are a lot of similarities across the board, especially in the game's tactics."
Keightley's role as the Royals' tactical performance coach is a trailblazing one, with female coaches rarely getting opportunities to work in the men's game and she hopes it will help open doors for others to follow.
Her former Australian teammate Julia Price became the first woman to coach a men's franchise side when she was appointed assistant coach of men's Big Bash League side Brisbane Heat in 2019, while ex-England wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor has worked with several men's sides including Sussex, Manchester Originals and Team Abu Dhabi.
"I can't see any reason why it won't continue to happen, with female coaches coming through the pathway and having those experiences," Keightley added. "Over time, as the right people come through, it won't be a barrier, just a great addition to the environment because of the skills and knowledge they bring."
