Sarah Taylor, the England wicketkeeper who is widely considered to be one of the most talented women’s players in the game, is taking an indefinite break from cricket and may miss the summer series against Pakistan that gets underway on June 20.
According to the ECB, Taylor, 26, is “taking a break from cricket, having decided to take some personal time away from the game”.
She has already missed the first three fixtures of Sussex’s domestic season, and the decision also puts in doubt her participation in the inaugural Kia Women’s Super League, which gets underway at the end of July.
An ECB spokesperson told the website CRICKETher that they were continuing to monitor the situation and that the board would “support her, keep in touch and talk with her prior to selection for the Pakistan series and the start of the Kia Super League.”
The news comes just days after Charlotte Edwards stood down from her ten-year role as England women’s captain, following pressure from the head coach, Mark Robinson, for a renewed emphasis on youth and fitness in a squad that has stagnated in recent years.
The team disappointed at the World T20 in India in March, exiting at the semi-final stage following a limp defeat against Australia, and have not won a major global title since 2009.
Taylor’s dismissal in that semi-final at Delhi was heavily criticised at the time, as she finished the tournament with 49 runs at 9.80 in five matches – well short of the standards that have made her one of the most talked-about female players in the game.
Taylor’s decision also effectively rules her out of becoming the next England captain, a job that now seems likely to go to Heather Knight.
Taylor took a four-month break from cricket in 2010, missing an Ashes tour in the process, but returned to the sport to become the leading wicketkeeper batsman in the world.
