Cath Dalton: Essex all-rounder hopes Pakistan Super League coaching role will help break new ground

Cath Dalton says that cricket pioneer Sarah Taylor was her inspiration as she breaks new ground in men's cricket.

Dalton is the first female fast-bowling coach in the Pakistan Super League after being hired by Multan Sultans.

Former England off-spinner Alex Hartley will be the franchise's spin coach in 2024, with Dalton the first female fast-bowling coach at a top-level men's side anywhere in the world.

"It's powerful to see female coaches on the sidelines," Essex's Dalton said.

"I would never have seen that as a junior - this is the generation that is finally going to change that, and the more young girls who turn up to sporting events and see female coaches, and not just females playing sport, is a massive thing."

Former England wicket-keeper Taylor played in more than 200 internationals, winning the 50-over and T20 World Cups in 2009 and 50-over tournament again on home soil in 2017.

She also played men's club cricket in the Birmingham Premier League and grade cricket in Australia before starting her coaching career with Sussex.

All-rounder Dalton, 31, said Taylor was "the first one to break down that barrier" and made her "really excited" about what she could achieve herself.

"From a female perspective, Sarah Taylor was the very first one and the first one to really break into men's cricket, coaching Sussex, coaching in the Hundred, and in franchises in Dubai and Abu Dhabi," Dalton told BBC Essex.

"I thought if she could do that, I want to be the first one to do that from a fast-bowling perspective, and somehow I've managed to."

Now Ireland international Dalton, who credits former Nottinghamshire and Essex bowler and coach Ian Pont as a role model, hopes that the current generation of female coaches in all sports will make women coaching in men's sport the norm.

"Ian has always told me to go for things and backed me 100%. It's that bravery to think 'I can step into this environment, and I am good enough to be there'," she said.

"When you get that, and have that confidence, you're fine, and realise it's just another day's coaching, but it's that initial step."

Dalton joins up with Multan Sultans this week with Hartley in a double coup for female coaches.

She hopes that she can prove to be a role model herself by being successful in the PSL.

"It is a big step but hopefully not the only step that happens," Dalton said.

"You want to break a barrier, and it fills you with a lot of pride that you've done that.

"But you want it to be the pathway for other females to break into the men's profession because there's so much knowledge and understanding out there in women's sport and women's coaching, it needs to be the norm."