Former Australia Batter Leah Poulton Joins ECB As Managing Director Of England Women

Former Australia batter Leah Poulton joins ECB as Managing Director of England Women (Former Australia batter Leah Poulton joins ECB as Managing Director of England Women)

ECB Chief Executive Richard Gould: Former Australia batter Leah Poulton has been appointed Managing Director of England Women, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Wednesday, with the former international set to begin her role in November.

Poulton, who represented Australia 90 times before retiring from international cricket in 2015, will oversee England Women, England Women A and England Women U19s, as well as the country’s women’s high-performance system.

The appointment comes at an important juncture for England, which reached the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. The team will also face Australia in the Women’s Ashes on home soil next year.

Poulton brings extensive experience in women’s cricket administration and player development. She has spent the past six years as Head of Elite Female Cricket at Cricket New South Wales (NSW), overseeing cricket performance operations across two Women’s Big Bash League franchises, women’s state cricket, and a major talent pathway programme.

Before joining Cricket NSW, Poulton spent three years at Cricket Australia as a high-performance coach. During that period, she played a key role in developing Australia’s women’s high-performance pathway and was involved with the Australia A and Under-19 women’s teams.

After retiring from playing, Poulton worked as an assistant coach for the Sydney Thunder and Sydney Sixers in the Women’s Big Bash League. She later served as Pathway Manager and Assistant Coach for NSW Breakers before joining Cricket Australia.

At Cricket Australia, she coached the Australia A, Under-19 and Under-15 women’s teams and helped oversee the introduction of the Under-19 and Australia A programmes, including their inaugural overseas tours.

Poulton will work closely with England head coach Charlotte Edwards and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt to establish a unified vision to ensure sustained success on the international stage.

ECB Chief Executive Richard Gould welcomed the appointment and said that Poulton’s blend of international playing experience and administrative expertise would help England Women continue their progress.

“I’m delighted to welcome Leah on board to help us build on this and take us to the next level,” Gould said.

Poulton succeeds Clare Connor, who announced earlier this year that she would leave the ECB after 18 years at the organisation.

“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,” Poulton said in an official release.

Poulton succeeds Clare Connor, who announced earlier this year that she would leave the ECB after 18 years at the organisation.

“I'd also like to acknowledge the incredible contribution Clare Connor has made to England and to cricket around the world. She has played such an important role in advancing the game, and I'm grateful to be taking on a role she has shaped so significantly," she added.

Article Source: IANS