England women: Paul Shaw to leave head of performance job

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Paul Shaw played Minor Counties cricket for Staffordshire

Paul Shaw will step down as England women's head of performance, after the summer's Ashes loss to Australia.

The England and Wales Cricket Board is now looking for a head coach "ideally with first-class or international playing or coaching experience".

Shaw, 48, whose role will be phased out at the end of the year, had been in charge since 2013 and oversaw Ashes wins home and away against Australia.

However, England were beaten 10-6 in this summer's multi-format series.

The appointment of a specialist head coach will now form part of a backroom restructure of the England women's set-up.

Clare Connor, the ECB's head of women's cricket, said: "The women's game is now fully professional and is in a different place to when Paul was appointed.

"The decision to move back to a more traditional coaching structure, led by one overarching head coach, is what we believe is now needed to take the players to the next level in their development as professional cricketers."

Shaw said he believed it was time to "step aside and give someone else the opportunity to take the programme and the team on to the next level".