The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed the appointment of Australian cricket executive Leah Poulton as the new Managing Director of England Women’s Cricket. The 42-year-old former international batter will assume the role in November, taking over from Clare Connor.
Extensive High-Performance Background
Poulton brings a wealth of coaching and administrative experience to the position. A veteran of 90 appearances for Australia, her post-playing career has been defined by leadership roles in elite female pathway development. She has served as an assistant coach for the Sydney Thunder and Sydney Sixers in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) and held the positions of Pathway Manager and Assistant Coach for the NSW Breakers at Cricket New South Wales (NSW).
Prior to her current stint, Poulton worked as a High Performance Coach at Cricket Australia. For the past six years, she has led the elite female cricket program as Head of Elite Female Cricket at Cricket NSW.
Mandate: Unified Vision for World Stage Success
The ECB outlined a broad remit for the incoming director. According to the board, Poulton will be “accountable for the performances of England women, England women A, England women U19s and the overall effectiveness and reputation of the women’s high-performance system”.
The governing body emphasized the collaborative nature of the role, stating: “Working closely with England women’s head coach Charlotte Edwards and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, she will set a clear, unified vision for England women to consistently succeed on the world stage.”
The appointment comes at a pivotal moment, with England set to host Australia in a highly anticipated Women’s Ashes series next summer.
Poulton: ‘A Huge Privilege’
In her first comments since the announcement, Poulton expressed enthusiasm for the challenge ahead.
“I’m incredibly excited and honoured to be joining England and to have the opportunity to help shape our programmes and, most importantly, invest in our people,”
said Poulton.
“I’m looking forward to working with Charlotte, Nat and the wider team, building on the strong foundations already in place and taking the programme forward.
“I know how vital strong pathways and a healthy domestic game are to sustained success, so I’m looking forward to connecting with people across the game and helping give the next generation of English players every opportunity to thrive. It’s a huge privilege to be part of England women and I can’t wait to get started.”
