Jon Lewis has been appointed as the new head coach of England’s women’s team, taking over in time to lead the side’s tour of the West Indies next month.
The former Gloucestershire and England quick is an experienced figure at the England and Wales Cricket Board, having previously worked as head coach of the men’s under-19 squad and fast-bowling coach of the men’s senior side under Chris Silverwood.
He moved aside into a wider developmental brief earlier this year but set his sights on replacing Australian Lisa Keightley after she departed at the end of the summer.
His first assignment will be in the Caribbean, with three ODIs and five T20s in December, but attention will quickly turn to a high-profile 2023 schedule featuring a keenly anticipated home Ashes series and a T20 World Cup in South Africa.
Lewis, who played one Test in 2006 and 15 white-ball games between 2005 and 2007, said: “It’s very exciting to have been appointed as head coach of the England Women’s team. It’s a new challenge, and one that I can’t wait to get stuck into.
“I’ve watched from a distance over the last few years and it’s clear that there are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about this team’s chances going forward.
“Our immediate focus is the West Indies, and particularly getting some points on the board in the ICC Women’s Championship, and then we’ll look ahead to South Africa and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.”
Lewis’s appointment was confirmed on the day that plans were unveiled to shake up the women’s Hundred next season with the introduction of a draft. While such a system has previously been in place for the men’s competition, the women’s teams have previously operated on the open market.
Each of the eight teams will be able to nominate only four retained players, with a minimum of four more signed during the draft phase. Welsh Fire will be granted first pick in the draft after finishing bottom this summer, with champions Oval Invincibles getting the last selection in the first round.
Elsewhere, the ECB has determined that the first Test between England’s men and Pakistan will remain in Rawalpindi. Authorities had been considering a switch to Karachi due to political unrest in the wake of the shooting of former prime minister Imran Khan.
However, England’s first Test tour to Pakistan for 17 years will now go ahead according to its original itinerary with the opening Test beginning in Rawalpindi on 1 December. England’s Test squad are due to fly to Pakistan a week on Saturday after a training camp in the United Arab Emirates.
