Imagine Matt Prior ringing Andy Flower before England’s departure for the Ashes to tell him he couldn't afford to go.

Unthinkable of course these days with central contracts and sponsorship deals. Prior, like the rest of the squad, can concentrate on beating Australia without worrying about money.

It is not the same in the women’s game. Sussex’s Sarah Taylor is Prior’s female equivalent, an England player since she was 17 and the best keeper-batsman in women’s cricket with a one-day international average of 37.62.

But when England fly to Australia next month to defend the Ashes, Taylor will not be in the squad. Now based back in Sussex, she is living with her parents in Seaford and deciding how much she can commit to cricket because of the need to make ends meet.

Taylor’s boss Clare Connor, the former England captain who is head of women’s cricket at the ECB, admits her absence is a huge blow to their hopes of retaining the Ashes.

But she also sympathises with her dilemma and is working hard to make sure that in future England’s top women can afford to play for their country.

Connor said: “She has been playing for England since she was 17 non stop and decided at the end of the summer she wanted to consider what she would want to do career-wise.

“She has already achieved so much at 21, but she has had to stop and think about how to make ends meet, how to pay the rent and get a job. That is a struggle most women sportsmen at the top level have.

“The players are looked after extremely well but they do not get a salary. They don’t get paid by their counties, they don’t get a benefit. They get a training grant from the ECB but it is by no means enough to live on full-time.”

Through the Chance to Shine initiative, seven England players coach full-time at grass-roots level but neither Taylor or her Sussex team-mates Holly Colvin and Laura Marsh, who are on the Ashes tour, took up that option. Left-arm spinner Colvin is at Durham University and Marsh, who is developing into a world-class all-rounder according to Connor, works part-time in her father’s business.

Connor added: “Sarah and the others could have been fast-tracked through her coaching badges but they decided they didn’t want to live and breathe cricket. Not everyone is born to be a cricket coach.”

Connor is working on a plan whereby players like Taylor would not face such dilemmas in the future.

“It is disappointing but understandable and throws up a big challenge for me as head of women’s cricket about how to look after players,” she added.

“We have to look at when we start paying them more or if we semi-professionalise them. We are close to doing that. Budgets are incredibly tight but it is something we could potentially look at for 2012.”

In the meantime, Connor, who was England’s Ashes-winning captain in 2003, is contemplating the toughest tour in women’s cricket without one of their best players – and hoping that Taylor, currently visiting relatives in New Zealand, stands by her decision to start playing again next season.

“Sarah is such a prolific talent. For us to go to Australia thinking we could win we would need her in the squad so it will be a tough tour without her,” said Connor.

“But we have picked some youngsters who did well in Sri Lanka this month when we won the one-day series 3-0. We need to make sure the depth in the squad is there so that if players need to have some time away from the game we are still going to have a competitive team.

“Long-term, if Sarah retired it would be a huge blow. She could be the best batter in the world, she is that talented. Retirement? That is a horrible thought!

“But it has to be the player’s decision. Her plan is to be available at the start of next summer but she has already made a very difficult decision. What England cricketer would turn down a tour to Australia?”