Lisa Keightley has voiced disappointment at the lack of female representation among head coaches in the women’s edition of The Hundred, revealing she was the only woman serving as a head coach among the eight teams present at the competition’s historic auction in London. The MI London head coach highlighted the issue after attending the inaugural Women’s Hundred auction held near Piccadilly Circus, where franchises spent record amounts to assemble their squads.

While the auction marked a significant step forward for women’s cricket in terms of investment and visibility, Keightley admitted she was surprised and disappointed to see that she was the only female head coach in the room. She noted that the rapid growth of women’s T20 competitions around the world has helped increase player salaries and opportunities, but leadership roles for women in coaching still remain limited.

According to Keightley, the women’s game is evolving quickly, especially with strong franchise leagues in cricket powerhouses such as India, England and Australia. These competitions have helped drive professional standards and improve financial rewards for players. However, she believes the next step should be increasing the number of women working in leadership roles across coaching staffs.

Despite the shortage of female head coaches, there were still several prominent women involved in coaching roles during the auction. Former England wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor was present as an assistant coach with Manchester Super Giants, while ex-England fast bowler Anya Shrubsole serves as assistant coach with Southern Brave. Both are building impressive coaching careers after their playing days and could potentially move into head coaching roles in the future.

Shrubsole has already gained valuable experience, having worked as a player-coach with Southern Vipers under Charlotte Edwards and serving as bowling coach for Royal Challengers Bangalore during their Women’s Premier League title-winning season. Taylor has also built a strong coaching résumé with roles across both men’s and women’s teams, including positions with Manchester Originals, England Lions and Gujarat Giants.

Keightley herself has extensive coaching experience, having worked with teams such as England women's cricket team, Australia women's cricket team, Perth Scorchers, Sydney Thunder and Delhi Capitals. She also led Northern Superchargers to the 2025 Women’s Hundred title before joining MI London under the tournament’s new franchise ownership structure.

Encouraging more women to step into leadership roles, Keightley urged aspiring female coaches to seize opportunities when they arise. She noted that many women often doubt whether they are ready for top coaching roles, but emphasized that confidence and willingness to take on challenges are key to progress.

Looking ahead, Keightley believes the situation will gradually improve as more former players transition into coaching and gain experience within professional setups. However, she stressed that opportunities should still be based on merit, with coaches earning positions through hard work and respect within the sport.

Meanwhile, MI London entered the auction with several big international names already signed, including Hayley Matthews, Amelia Kerr and Danni Wyatt-Hodge. During the auction they added players such as Chinelle Henry, Nicola Carey and uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Kira Chathli, who impressed in the previous season with strong batting performances.

Keightley believes the squad has good balance heading into the tournament, with strong batting depth and versatile all-round options. While she admitted it might have been useful to add another power hitter, she remains confident that the team has enough firepower and flexibility to compete strongly in the upcoming Women’s Hundred season.