Roger Federer is coming back to US Open four years after retirement, set for two blockbuster matches US Open confirmed Roger Federer's return on Sunday, and he will be joined by three other tennis greats Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 13:25:16 IST Written by Aratrick Mondal Prefer HTon Google Share
Nerves cost us against Australia, but I'm proud of the team: women's hockey coach: Marijne Nerves cost us against Australia, but I'm proud of the team: women's hockey coach: Marijne Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 13:09:14 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Amstelveen
After seventh seed Victor Lai fell in three games to ninth seed Alex Lanier at the 2026 BWF World Championships in New Delhi, the former described the Frenchman as a ‘beast’, lauding his physical fitness and tenacity to go the distance and play the long game
India men’s football team will face Panama in a FIFA international friendly in September, ahead of another friendly against five-time FIFA World Cup winners Brazil in Kolkata on October 3. According to a report by The Times of India, the match between India and the North American side is
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin has ruled himself out of the running to replace Gianni Infantino, but says he expects a candidate to challenge the Fifa president's leadership in March. Infantino has faced calls to step down after he scrapped a controversial plan to sell off stakes in Fifa's
Barcelona began their La Liga title defence with a commanding 5-0 victory over Elche on Sunday, with Raphinha and Fermin Lopez scoring twice each and Anthony Gordon setting up two goals on his debut. The result comea a day after Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid defeated Espanyol 2-1 with a late winner
GCT Grand Finale: Praggnanandhaa beats Keymer to stake his claim for finals GCT Grand Finale: Praggnanandhaa beats Keymer to stake his claim for finals Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 09:43:17 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link St. Louis
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin may have been vocal in his demand for the current FIFA president Gianni Infantino to step down but he has no interest in replacing the under-fire Swiss. Infantino continues to face pressure to leave his position as world football’s governing body chief following
It’s scary to think where India will be in five years’ time: Sarah Taylor
It’s scary to think where India will be in five years’ time: Sarah Taylor Premium
Sarah Taylor has been a trailblazer in women's cricket in many ways.
During her distinguished playing career for England, spanning a 13-year period (2006 to 2019), she was a wicketkeeper of such supreme skill that Australian legend Adam Gilchrist, in 2018, described her as the best in the world – male or female – behind the stumps. Known particularly for her sharpness standing up to the wicket, she effected 104 stumpings in 226 matches across all formats.
A long-standing battle with mental health forced Sarah to retire from international cricket at the age of 30, but it hasn't deterred her from continuing to leave her stamp on the willow game.
In 2021, she made headlines around the world for breaking the glass ceiling when she was roped in by County side Sussex as part of the support staff for the men's team. A year later, she became a specialist wicketkeeping coach for Manchester Originals in the men's Hundred. Currently, she is part of the coaching staff helmed by Andrew Flintoff at England Lions, which acts as a feeder to the senior men's set-up.
In mid-2025, her induction into the International Cricket Council's Hall of Fame alongside M.S. Dhoni, Matthew Hayden, Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, Daniel Vettori and Sana Mir was another feather in an already-ornate cap.
Sarah has now made her way to the Women's Premier League as well as fielding coach of the Gujarat Giants. In a wide-ranging interview with The Hindu on a breezy Sunday morning, the 36-year-old opened up about her induction into the ICC Hall of Fame, her coaching assignments, mental health, and her fondness for the craft of wicketkeeping…
I struggled with travel. So, the idea of coming to India, lots of people, lots of fans, I found it quite overwhelming. So, it never happened, but also, I didn't even think I'd get a chance to come to a tournament like this.
And then, I got asked, because I was doing the Hundred with Manchester Originals. Once you get your foot in the door of franchise cricket, people look around in that bubble. And so, I was lucky enough that Gujarat looked at me last year and asked, “Would you like to come?” It just didn't happen. But I did say, please ask me again. So, yeah, it has taken a little bit of time, but I'm glad I'm here.
I cried when I got the email. I couldn't believe it was for real. I just didn't realise that my career was probably as recognised in that regard anyway. So, to have that recognition was insane. It was absolutely unbelievable. You think that you've done a good job, and then something like that is obviously a little bit more than a pat on the back.
Look, the ODI World Cup win at Lord's in 2017. That will always be... yeah, I can still hear the sound of the ball hitting the stumps when Anya Shrubsole took the last wicket, and my screaming at the top of my lungs.
I actually look back on my career now, and realise how amazing it was when we won so many things. We had an era of England cricket that was so good, and our XI just picked itself. But also, I learnt so much from the times when it was so hard, and we were struggling to find a win. That journey was probably what I was most proud of.
I was working with wicketkeepers at Dulwich College in London after my retirement. Richard Halsall, who was Sussex Academy lead at the time, saw a need to bring in a keeping coach at Sussex. He asked me to come and work with the Academy keepers, and then it was, well why doesn't she work with the pro keepers if it's going well? So then it just built from there.
It just happened really organically, and I was lucky to be surrounded by people like Ian Salisbury, James Kirtley and Grant Flower. They were so supportive that I never had any apprehension. I did see the comments online, and I can't hide from those, and I was a bit in a place of like, well, I'll prove you wrong.
You still get the comments. Even with the England Lions stuff, I still get comments that I shouldn't be working with the guys. But it's the opinion within the cricket world that matters most to me, and if you can get those jobs, and people are approaching you for those jobs, then you must be doing something right.
I don't necessarily know if I've proved people wrong, but, I'm still coaching, and I'm still doing the Lions stuff. I've just got a contract with the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB), so I must be doing something.
Yeah, absolutely. You've got to have a certain way about you to understand the men's environment. The way they deal with things, the way they approach things, and you have to have that understanding, as any male coach would have to understand going into a female set up. I think there are some personalities out there who could absolutely cross that line. It's just whether the coach can facilitate what the players need, and there are certainly female coaches out there who can facilitate what a guy needs. Wicketkeeping lends itself to it a little bit, just because the nature of catching a ball is exactly the same.
If you ask anyone that I played against, I didn't say too much. I said a lot to my teammates, but I never said too much to the batters.
But if I catch everything, batters know that as soon as they edge it, they are gone. Or if they miss, I am going to knock off the bails. It was about trying to get that into their head, so that was where the presence came from. I'll always try to pass that on.
Different 'keepers have different techniques. Dhoni, for example, had a unique way of gathering the ball to effect quick stumpings and run-outs. When you're coaching 'keepers, what is the way you go about teaching technique?
I probably moulded myself a little bit on Dhoni towards the end of my career in terms of the speed from my gather to the stumps. A lot of stumpings now are a foot just raising slightly, and that's it. That's the difference sometimes, and the taking of the ball back is going out of the game because the time is not there. I find that exciting. I love coaching speed, and showing them how quick they can be, so that is going into the game.
Taylor revealed that towards the end of her career she moulded herself like Dhoni. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
As a traditionalist, I always want the best wicketkeeper to play. But I understand the need for balance in a side. If you can have that batter towards the end who can bat with the bowlers, and sometimes the best 'keepers aren't necessarily that batter, I get that. But if you've got your best 'keeper, they will affect the game in a way that the batter-keepers won't.
Beth Mooney, just don't tell her that I like watching her (laughs). Amy Jones will always be one, she's phenomenal.
Alex Carey is pretty good. I absolutely love watching Ben Foakes. He just makes it look so easy that it's ridiculous. I used to love watching Dhoni when he was playing for India. I like Quinton de Kock as well, just because he's so carefree with it. It amazes me how good he is. I'll just keep watching 'keepers, I'm a bit of a badger. That's the first thing I notice during a cricket match.
You've been candid about your mental health struggles, which led to your international retirement in 2019. Seven years on, are cricketers more equipped to deal with these issues?
Yeah, definitely better. Earlier, less people spoke about it, so you didn't know what you had. You didn't know that what you were dealing with was a thing. I only learnt once I spoke out that other people were going through the same stuff. It's ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) that I have. I've relaxed about it now, whereas earlier I was so stressed that I was feeling this way.
The girls now have access to so much. It needed me to stop playing cricket and go into hypnotherapy, and that was the best thing for me.
When you were playing, Australia and England were the two dominant sides. New Zealand won the 2024 T20 World Cup, and India won the 2025 ODI World Cup. Is women's cricket more competitive than ever before?
Absolutely. It's exciting. The franchise leagues have then opened that up. It's scary to think where India will be in five years' time because of the exposure they are getting. I'm so glad now that you can look at a World Cup and say I don't know which team is going to win — South Africa, India, England, Australia or New Zealand. That's cool.
Published - January 29, 2026 12:14 am IST
Source: TheHindu
Related Posts: Sports
The French are known for a lot of things but badminton isn’t one of them. Till Sunday, when the country that has never been considered among the top nations even in Europe created history at the 2026 World championships, in more ways than one
11 hours ago
AITA picked them, the government cut them: Why has India’s Asian Games tennis squad been slashed from 12 to 7? The AITA had originally proposed a 12-member squad for for the Asian Games, which included six women. But the list was slashed down to just seven players. Updated on: Aug 24, 2026
11 hours ago
Ashton Jeanty injury update: Is the Raiders RB out for the season? Doctor reveals possible diagnoses; ‘best case…’ Ashton Jeanty was injured after attempting a catch, prompting a tense silence at the Raiders’ facility before his teammates gathered and knelt in prayer. Updated on: Aug 24
14 hours ago
When Liverpool came to Newcastle last August, there was utter jubilation as Rio Ngumoha scored a remarkable 100th-minute winner. They scored late again this time around, through Dominik Szoboszlai's 99th-minute penalty, but it felt more like a sense of relief than joy as they rescued a point
14 hours ago
'Is Sydney Taylor playing tonight?' Chicago Sky guard's slow start vs Fever sparks injury concerns Sydney Taylor was in Chicago’s starting lineup when the Sky hosted the Indiana Fever on Sunday night. Updated on: Aug 24, 2026, 07:32:12 IST By Ojas Jaiswal Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link
14 hours ago
Yet again, the England men's cricket team is picking through the wreckage of a late-night misdemeanour. The latest stain on the game's reputation is a result of pictures of fast bowler Brydon Carse in handcuffs and surrounded by police officers outside a nightspot in Derby
14 hours ago
Jean-Philippe Mateta is arguing the remainder of his Crystal Palace contract is invalid and has taken his case to Fifa. Multiple sources have told BBC Sport the France international has launched an official challenge over the validity of the final 10 months on his Selhurst Park deal
1 days ago
Bangladesh 64: Starc 6-12 & 95: Shanto 31; Starc 4-39, Cummins 3-10, Lyon 3-25 Mitchell Starc took 10 wickets in the match as Australia bounced back from last week's shock defeat by Bangladesh to win the second Test by an innings and 51 runs and draw the series 1-1. Second Test
1 days ago
Jannik Sinner's absence benefits Carlos Alcaraz: What to expect from the US Open champion after his long injury layoff Jannik Sinner is out, but is it premature to call Carlos Alcaraz the US Open favourite after four months away? Updated on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
US Open leaves Stan Wawrinka out in the cold, denying former champion a wild card for his final Grand Slam The US Open has surprisingly denied Stan Wawrinka a wild card for what could be his final appearance at a Grand Slam. Updated on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
India faced the Netherlands in their Pool E match of the ongoing FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 on Saturday (August 22) at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen but suffered a 1-3 defeat. India conceded one goal in the third quarter and two in the fourth quarter to go down against the hosts
1 days ago
There is an uncanny resemblance between Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa’s bronze-medal run at the 2011 BWF World Championships and Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand’s campaign at the 2026 edition. Jwala and Ashwini faced the second-seeded Cheng Wen-hsing and Chien Yu-chin as early as the
1 days ago
Runs on the board and rival wickets, is the template that Dhananjaya de Silva will chase when the second Test commences at the SSC Ground on Sunday (August 23, 2026). “It’s about putting runs on the board. That’s what India did [at Galle]. For the first two days they batted and got 460 runs
1 days ago
Serena Williams returns to US Open after four years, joins Carlos Alcaraz for mixed doubles Serena Williams will return to the US Open for the first time since 2022, partnering Carlos Alcaraz in mixed doubles after receiving a wildcard. Published on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
Roberto De Zerbi may have spent close to £400m by the time his Tottenham Hotspur rebuild is complete – but it took just his side's first Premier League game of the season to prove all the money in the world is no guaranteed cure for a losing mentality
1 days ago
Manchester United's fans had endured a bad enough day on the banks of the River Humber when Hull City's stadium announcer gleefully piped up midway through the second half. Two trains back to Manchester from the city centre station had been cancelled
1 days ago
From a shy girl to team mentor, Savita Punia says hockey changed her life From a shy girl to team mentor, Savita Punia says hockey changed her life Published on: Aug 22, 2026, 12:08:49 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Amstelveen
2 days ago
Shubhankar makes cut after spectacular ace at Nexo Championship Shubhankar makes cut after spectacular ace at Nexo Championship Published on: Aug 22, 2026, 12:17:58 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Aberdeenshire , Shubhankar Sharma ended his streak of four missed cuts as he made the
2 days ago
Inter Miami's Lionel Messi has been fined for slapping Philadelphia Union's Quinn Sullivan during their side's Major League Soccer (MLS) 2-2 draw on Wednesday. Messi, 39, slapped Sullivan around the back of the head towards the end of the game as he complained the Union player had elbowed him after
2 days ago
Premier League champions Arsenal will start the new season with some of the nightmares of the previous two as their marquee signing, midfielder Bruno Guimarães, is not part of the squad due to an injury. Guimarães signed for £75 million (Rs. 979 crore) from Newcastle United and suffered a knock
2 days ago
Nostalgia may have enveloped Sairaj Bahutule when he entered the SSC Ground. He would have remembered his last Test played at the same venue in 2001, a game India lost. The Indian spin-bowling coach, though, quickly immersed himself in the nets here Friday (August 21, 2026)
2 days ago
Lionel Messi fined for slapping opponent on the head as Inter Miami-Philadelphia clash erupts into late red-card chaos Lionel Messi was fined by MLS after slapping Philadelphia's Quinn Sullivan on the head as Inter Miami's 2-2 draw desecended into stoppage-time chaos. Updated on: Aug 22, 2026
2 days ago
Double Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra managed to deliver his season’s best performance at the Lausanne Diamond League on Friday but fell agonisingly short of the top spot, as Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage finished first with a throw just nine centimetres more than his
2 days ago
Why did Nick Chubb retire? Net worth in focus as NFL player ends career at 30 Nick Chubb played for eight seasons in NFL that included seven years with the Cleveland Browns and one with the Houston Texans. Updated on: Aug 22, 2026, 09:25:09 IST By Shirin Gupta Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link
2 days ago
Arsenal started last season as nearly men - but now they have the swagger of winners. That much can be seen on the approach to Emirates Stadium. Above the entrance to the ground is new signage, a simple message in gold: 'Champions'. Players and fans alike have taken the confidence of last season's
2 days ago
Liverpool, Man City face questions in new era without Salah, Guardiola Liverpool, Man City face questions in new era without Salah, Guardiola Published on: Aug 22, 2026, 06:32:41 IST AFP Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Mohamed Salah and Pep Guardiola are two of the most iconic figures in
2 days ago
Nakashima knocks out Fritz to reach Cincinnati semi-finals Nakashima knocks out Fritz to reach Cincinnati semi-finals Published on: Aug 22, 2026, 04:36:47 IST AFP Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Brandon Nakashima continued his red-hot pace on Friday
2 days ago
