Derbyshire appoint Mickey Arthur as new head of cricket

Derbyshire's new head of cricket Mickey Arthur has a big job ahead. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Having held head coaching roles with Australia, South Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the latter of which he leaves to join Derbyshire, Arthur is recognised as one of the leading coaches within the game, and replaces Dave Houghton, who departed at the end of the 2021 season.

Chairman, Ian Morgan OBE, said: “Mickey is one of the most highly-regarded coaches in world cricket and this is a key appointment for the Club ahead of an important winter period.

“Throughout this recruitment process, Mickey has understood our heritage as a county, but also matched our ambition with a desire to make a positive impact at Derbyshire.

“We want to move forward from last season. We’ve got a talented group of players and with a new Head of Cricket bringing a fresh approach, it is an exciting time for our Members and supporters.”

Arthur added: “This is the start of an exciting project at Derbyshire, with many young players, and I’m really excited to be a part of that and to bring my vision to the Club. It’s a new challenge and one which I’m eager to get stuck into and lead this Club to success.

Arthur oversaw a successful period for South Africa as National Coach between 2005 and 2010, a spell highlighted by series wins over Australia, India and Pakistan.

He later coached Australia, before guiding Pakistan to their first ICC Champions Trophy in 2017.

In domestic cricket, Arthur twice led Eastern Cape to T20 finals in South Africa, while he enjoyed a spell with Western Australia prior to securing the Australia national job and has coached a number of franchise teams across Asia, including Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League.

Renowned for his leadership qualities and winning mentality, he was appointed as Head Coach of Sri Lanka in February 2020, leading the side through the ICC Twenty20 World Cup in 2021 and guiding a young squad to five wins, including a memorable 20-run victory over West Indies.

Arthur will link up with the Derbyshire squad after Sri Lanka’s two-Test series against West Indies which begins on Sunday.