Warwickshire back to drawing board after first-choice director of cricket turns down job

EXCLUSIVE - GEORGE DOBELL & NICK FRIEND: Blackcaps performance manager Simon Insley has rejected the chance to fill the role left vacant by Paul Farbrace's departure

Warwickshire are back to the drawing board after their first choice as new director of cricket turned down the job.

The Cricketer understands that the club made the job offer to Simon Insley who, after a visit to Edgbaston in recent days, has declined the opportunity.

Ashley Giles, the former England coach and director of cricket, has been informed he will not be getting the job. Giles, who has had two previous spells at the club in a similar capacity and who had interviewed for the position this time, also declined the role of director or cricket at Worcestershire in recent weeks.

As a result, Warwickshire will restart their recruitment process in the coming days. They are expected to release a statement shortly which will update players and other staff and outline the qualities they desire in the new director or cricket.

^{Paul Farbrace left Warwickshire at the end of the 2022 season (Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)}

Among those qualities is an understanding of the changing face of cricket – including the growth of franchise leagues – and a character who neither aspires to a coaching role or another job within a few months. After a period of churn, Warwickshire hope to make an appointment which remains in place for five to 10 years.

Insley, who took over as New Zealand's performance manager in May, was previously general manager for high performance at Cricket Tasmania, which included overseeing Hobart Hurricanes and Tasmanian Tigers.

He was also an assistant manager to the Blackcaps in a prior stint with New Zealand during the 2019 World Cup in England. He has also previously worked with Auckland Cricket in a similar management capacity.

The Warwickshire role has been vacant since Paul Farbrace departed at the end of the 2022 season; he has since joined Sussex as head coach.

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