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England women’s cricket head coach Lisa Keightley will leave her role at the end of the summer.
The Australian, 50, has been in post since January 2020 and was the team’s first full-time female head coach.
She has told the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) that she will not be seeking a contract extension.
During her time in charge, England reached the semi-finals of the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup and the final of the 2022 Women’s World Cup.
Her last series will be September’s visit of India.
Keightley, who took over from Mark Robinson, played nine Tests and 82 one-day internationals for her country and was the first woman to score an ODI century at Lord’s.
Prior to taking the England job she was head coach of the Perth Scorchers in the Women’s Big Bash League in Australia.
The ECB will now start the recruitment process for her replacement before February’s T20 World Cup in South Africa.
“We are incredibly grateful for the commitment and passion Lisa has shown over the last two and a half years in the role,” said the ECB’s director of women’s cricket Jonathan Finch.
“We have seen increased competition for places over the last 12 months and the squad Lisa leaves is an exciting blend of youth and experience.
“Leading an international team is challenging at the best of times. It is more challenging during a pandemic, and Lisa has been able to continue the development of the team during what has been the toughest period we have faced off the field.”
Interim ECB chief executive Clare Connor added: “Lisa was always a fierce opponent when she represented Australia, and she’s brought that same pride, passion and will to win into everything she’s done with the England team.
“The team have enjoyed working with her immensely and I know they’ll join me in wishing her all the very best for her next challenge.”
Analysis
Chief cricket writer Stephan Shemilt
Keightley’s departure is not unexpected and was planned even if England had not endured such an awful weekend at the Commonwealth Games, where they failed to win a medal.
Her reign has come almost exclusively in the pandemic era and she has struggled with not being able to freely visit her home in Australia.
On the pitch, her time in charge has coincided with a period of Australian dominance. Australia outclassed England in this year’s Ashes and World Cup final. As well as the Commonwealths disappointment, England failed to reach the final of the 2020 T20 World Cup, though they might argue they were done by the Sydney rain.
Either way, it feels like England are as far behind the Aussies as they have ever been, and it will be the job of Keightley’s successor to close the gap.
That is likely to start with a tour of the Caribbean before Christmas, then the T20 World Cup in the spring, before an Ashes battle next summer.
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