Former England Women’s cricketer Sarah Taylor has decided to make a comeback to competitive cricket. She joined Welsh Fire, one of the eight franchise teams of The Hundred Women’s competition.
"There has been a real buzz about The Hundred, and especially the women’s competition. We’ve got the best players from around the world involved and the temptation to be part of it was too great to resist,” Taylor was quoted as saying in Wales Cricket Board’s press release.
Taylor, 31, had quit all forms of competitive cricket in 2019 citing that anxiety issues plaguing her personally. Back then she had said, “This has been a tough decision but I know it’s the right one, for me and for my health moving forward. I am extremely proud of my career.”
Now, excited to play, Sarah wishes that Welsh Fire which play their first game against Northern Superchargers at Headingley, Leeds on July 24 could have a great first season.
Commenting on the two times World Cup winner’s comeback to cricket, Beth Barrett-Wild, head of The Hundred Women’s competition said, "Sarah Taylor is a truly extraordinary cricketer, who has made a habit of breaking new ground in the game throughout her career.” “It’s highly appropriate therefore that she will feature in The Hundred this summer – a competition which has the potential to transform women’s cricket,” she added.
The London born Taylor is one of the finest wicket-keeper batters to have ever graced the women’s game. She has the second-highest number of dismissals in both ODIs and T20Is with the joint highest number of stumpings in both formats.
In ODIs, she has 51 stumpings, equal to India’s Anju Jain while in T20Is too she has 51 stumpings, equal to Australia’s Alyssa Healy. Overall she has the most number stumpings for any women’s cricketer, all formats combined. The tally sits at 104, way ahead of Healy’s 74. Sarah also has to her kitty, 6533 runs, once again the most for any wicket-keeper batter in women’s game.