Read, who played 15 Tests between 1999 and 2007 and represented England in all three formats, has since served as assistant coach with Trent Rockets in the women's Hundred and Hobart Hurricanes in the WBBL, as well as wicketkeeping consultancy work with the ECB, including a stint with England men's Under-19s squad.

He will join the Thunder set-up on a two-year contract in January, and inherits a squad that reached Finals Day in the 2023 Charlotte Edwards Cup.

"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."