Poulton takes up the role following England Women’s appearance in the final of this summer’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and ahead of next year’s home Metro Bank Women’s Ashes series.

The former batter represented Australia on 90 occasions before retiring in 2015. She has spent the past six years as Head of Elite Female Cricket at Cricket New South Wales, overseeing performance operations across two WBBL franchises, women’s state cricket and an extensive talent pathway.

Before joining Cricket New South Wales, Poulton worked for three years as a High Performance Coach at Cricket Australia. She led the development and implementation of Australia’s women’s high-performance pathway, including the establishment of the Australia A and Under-19 women’s teams.

In her new position, Poulton will be accountable for the performances of England Women, England Women A and England Women U19s, alongside 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 establish a unified vision designed to deliver consistent success on the international stage.

Richard Gould, ECB Chief Executive Officer, said: “With the progress the team has made under Charlotte Edwards and having reached the final of this summer’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, England Women are well placed for a successful era.

“I’m delighted to welcome Leah on board to help us build on this and take us to the next level. She has a deep understanding of international cricket from her playing career and has built an impressive reputation in her time in administration. I believe she and Lottie will be a formidable combination, and will continue the team's progress and development as we compete for the ICC Women's Champions Trophy and Women's Ashes in 2027.”

Poulton will begin the role in November. After finishing her playing career, she became assistant coach of Sydney Thunder and later Sydney Sixers in the Women’s Big Bash League. She spent three years at Cricket New South Wales (NSW) as Pathway Manager and Assistant Coach for NSW Breakers, before joining Cricket Australia as a High Performance Coach. In three years there she coached the Australia A, Under-19s and

Under-15s women's teams, as well as overseeing the introduction of the Under-19 and A team programmes, and the first overseas tour of both the teams.

She became Head of Elite Female Cricket at Cricket NSW in April 2020. She succeeds Clare Connor, who announced earlier this year that she would be leaving the ECB after a career spanning 18 years.

Leah Poulton said: “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. I'm looking forward to working with Charlotte, Nat and the wider team, building on the strong foundations already in place and taking the programme forward.

“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.

“I know how vital strong pathways and a healthy domestic game are to sustained success, so I'm looking forward to connecting with people across the game and helping give the next generation of English players every opportunity to thrive. It's a huge privilege to be part of England Women, and I can't wait to get started.”

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