The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has appointed Leah Poulton as the managing director of England women's cricket. Poulton, a 42-year-old former batter who played 90 times for Australia, will take up the role in November, succeeding Clare Connor. Poulton brings extensive experience in coaching and player development, having worked in various roles across Australia’s cricketing landscape. Before joining the ECB, Poulton served as an assistant coach for Sydney Thunder and Sydney Sixers in the Women’s Big Bash League, one of the premier domestic cricket competitions in Australia. She also held positions as pathway manager and assistant coach for Cricket New South Wales (NSW) Breakers, and worked as a high performance coach at Cricket Australia. For the past six years, she has been the head of elite female cricket at Cricket NSW, overseeing the development of top-tier female players. The ECB stated that Poulton will be responsible for the performances of England women’s teams, including the senior squad, the development team (England women A), and the under-19 team, as well as the overall effectiveness and reputation of the women's high-performance system. She will work closely with England women’s head coach Charlotte Edwards and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt to "set a clear, unified vision for England women to consistently succeed on the world stage." Poulton expressed her excitement about joining England, stating, "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." She emphasized the importance of strong pathways and a healthy domestic game for sustained success, saying she looks forward to connecting with people across the game and helping give the next generation of English players every opportunity to thrive. England is set to host Australia in a women's Ashes series next summer, marking a significant event in international women's cricket.