Alex Lees takes over as Durham white-ball captain

Ryan Campbell has named the England opener, who was dropped from the Test team ahead of the Pakistan tour at the start of winter, as his captain for the T20 Blast and Royal London Cup

Alex Lees has been announced as Durham's white-ball captain for the 2023 season.

The 29-year-old will lead the team in the T20 Blast and One-Day Cup games, taking over from Ashton Turner and Scott Borthwick who shared the roles last year.

Durham will be hoping that the change in leader can turn around their fortunes after a disappointing 2022 season. They finished second from bottom in the Vitality Blast north group with only three wins – hindered by an injury to Turner – and fared no better in the Royal London One Day Cup where they were rooted to the bottom of the standings with only one win.

Lees joined Durham in 2018 having come through the ranks at Yorkshire. He had previously been Yorkshire's white-ball captain at Yorkshire in 2016 but only for one season.

^{Lees hasn't played for England since the Test against South Africa in September (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)}

The left-handed batter made his England Test debut last year but was unable to establish himself in England's front-footed approach under Brendon McCullum.

He was dropped for the tour of Pakistan though recently was part of England Lions' tour of Sri Lanka, where he hit two half centuries against Sri Lanka A and a century against the Sri Lanka Board President's XI.

Lees takes up the role amid a busy winter at Durham, who have a new head coach in Ryan Campbell.

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