Image Credit- Getty
Paul Shaw, who left the Thunder at the end of the 2023
season after four seasons in command, will be replaced as head coach by Chris
Read, a former wicketkeeper for Nottinghamshire and England.
After representing England in all three formats and
playing 15 Tests between 1999 and 2007, Read has gone on to work as an
assistant coach for the women’s Hundred Trent Rockets and the women’s WBBL
Hobart Hurricanes. He has also done wicketkeeping consultancy work for the ECB,
having spent time with the England men’s Under-19 squad.
“I am extremely proud to have taken up this
position and I am looking forward to getting to work with such an ambitious
club and a talented squad of players,” Read said.
“The development of the Thunder regional
programme in recent years has been most impressive and it is clear to see the
ambitions of everybody involved is to back that up by bringing silverware to
Emirates Old Trafford.
“I believe that my experiences as both a player,
and more recently as a coach around the world, will help Thunder push on and
achieves our ambitions in the coming seasons.”
David Thorley, regional director of women’s cricket,
added: “Throughout an extensive interview process, Chris excelled against
the candidate brief of what we were looking for in a head coach – which is
somebody to build on the strong foundations laid during Paul Shaw’s tenure and
to help continue to evolve the high-performance culture here at Thunder.
“It is clear that Chris is an excellent
strategist who knows what it takes to win through a positive brand of cricket,
and I am looking forward to the future of Thunder under his leadership.”