Former England player Ebony Rainford-Brent has said there is ‘no diversity in women’s cricket’.

The 36 year-old, who was the first black woman to play for England, also admitted she is ‘jealous’ that there is a ‘representation’ in football, but not cricket.

She is currently Surrey’s director of women’s cricket and has launched a scholarship programme in order to encourage women to get involved in the sport.

Rainford-Brent, who played for England between 2001 and 2010, told BBC Radio 5 Live: “We have to look at the pipeline - are any players coming through?

“When I listen to football with all its problems, I'm still very jealous of the sport because we see representation.

“I think the mass level of it means it has a lot of issues that get thrashed out in the media.

“There is no diversity in women's cricket, really.”

The 2009 World Cup winner added: “There is a lot more to do to help and support women from a range of different backgrounds to play and enjoy the game.

“We as a sport are disconnected from inner cities - that's not just a black issue, that has socio-economic implications.”