Katherine Brunt heartbeat of team, says former England Women Performance head
Katherine Brunt heartbeat of team, says former England Women Performance head
England Women Performance head Paul Shaw, who stepped down recently after the Ashes loss feels that all-rounder Katherine Brunt is heartbeat of the English team. In conversation with Barnsley Chronicle he said, “Katherine is in the best condition of her career— physically, mentally and technically. She has worked very hard on her batting and has become a genuine all-rounder. She is the heartbeat of the team and I am sure she will continue to be so for two or three years at least.” He added that he has enjoyed every bit of his three years time as England women’s head coach. Mark Robinson will take over from Shaw as England’s new head coach. VIDEO: Katherine Brunt talks about her journey to the top
“It’s been a very challenging but enjoyable three years. I will take some very fond memories with me and I am really pleased with the progress we have made. I will hand the team over in a good position and I am sure there are very good times ahead. It has been great to oversee the transition from amateur to professional which is a big change. The highlights were the two Ashes wins and the World Cup final. The best match was probably the Test win in Perth in 2014.”
“After the Ashes finished this summer, I went on holiday with my family and realised it was right to leave before Christmas. I’m just excited to be moving on to the next chapter. I have been on the road for a long time and I am really looking forward to spending time with my family. I would leave on a Monday morning, spend all week in Loughborough and then come back on Friday night. Then there were several six-week spells in a year when we would either be out of the country on tour or playing a home series and I would be with the team all of that time. It does take its toll and three years was probably enough for me. I am looking forward to reconnecting with my family and friends in Barnsley and spending more time at the cricket and football clubs. I know Patrick Cryne [Barnsley FC owner] pretty well so I am sure I will be seeing him soon. Hopefully my family and I will go to Wembley in April to watch the super Reds play in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final.” READ: England Women Performance head Paul Shaw steps down following Ashes loss to Australia
“My role focused on leadership and strategic skills and to create a new professional culture and environment with professional systems and processes in place. I had a team of coaches around me but now that work has been done and it is time for a head coach to come in and lead the team forward. I expect them to make great strides in the next few years and I will look back on that with great pride knowing that I contributed to it. I hand the team over with them ranked second in all three formats which is not bad. I am sure Robbo [Mark Robinson] can take them on and make them number one again.”