Paul Shaw says he is proud of the contribution he has made to women's cricket during his three-year spell as England's head of performance which he is bringing to an end this month.
The former Barnsley CC player and coach, who grew up in Oakwell and now lives in Jump, has been in charge of the England side since 2013 after impressing with his work with the younger national teams.
He led England to two Ashes wins and the World Cup final which they lost. As well as coaching the side, his role was mainly to oversee the transition of the women's team between their amateur and professional eras as central contracts were introduced.
"It's been a very challenging but enjoyable three years," said Shaw, who has just finished his final England camp and is handing over the reigns to new head coach Mark Robinson.
"I will take some very fond memories with me and I am really pleased with the progress we have made. I will hand the team over in a good position and I am sure there are very good times ahead. It has been great to oversee the transition from amateur to professional which is a big change. The highlights were the two Ashes wins and the World Cup final. "The best match was probably the Test win in Perth in 2014."
Shaw is still talking to the ECB about a new role which will have wider responsibilities than the women's game but also allow him to spend more time with my wife and two children. More family time was a main factor in his decision to leave his job with the women's team.
"I have been talking to the ECB for eight months about the best time for me to leave," said Shaw, who has also set up a company called Inside Leadership which aims to provide businesses with courses in 'leadership development'.
"After the Ashes finished this summer, I went on holiday with my family and realised it was right to leave before Christmas. "I'm just excited to be moving on to the next chapter. I have been on the road for a long time and I am really looking forward to spending time with my family.
"I would leave on a Monday morning, spend all week in Loughborough and then come back on Friday night. Then there were several six-week spells in a year when we would either be out of the country on tour or playing a home series and I would be with the team all of that time.
"It does take its toll and three years was probably enough for me. 'I am looking forward to reconnecting with my family and friends in Barnsley and spending more time at the cricket and football clubs.
"I know Patrick Cryne (Barnsley FC owner) pretty well so I am sure I will be seeing him soon. Hopefully my family and I will go to Wembley in April to watch the super Reds play in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final."
Shaw said another major factor was that he felt England needed a more 'hands on' coach with Robinson bringing a wealth of experience from the professional men's game including winning the County Championship with Sussex in 2006 and 2007.
Shaw said: "My role focused on leadership and strategic skills and to create a new professional culture and environment with professional systems and processes in place. I had a team of coaches around me but now that work has been done and it is time for a head coach to come in and lead the team forward.
"I expect them to make great strides in the next few years and I will look back on that with great pride knowing that I contributed to it. I hand the team over with them ranked second in all three formats which is not bad. "I am sure Robbo can take them on and make them number one again."
There will still be some Barnsley involvement with England Women in the form of Dodworth fast bowler Katherine Brunt, who has worked closely with Shaw since she was a junior at Shaw Lane.
Shaw said: "Katherine is in the best condition of her career physically, mentally and technically. She has worked very hard on her batting and has become a genuine all-rounder. She is the heartbeat of the team and I am sure she will continue to be so for two or three years at least."
