Mickey Arthur to leave Sri Lanka and become Derbyshire head of cricket

The 53-year-old will take charge of the West Indies Test series before linking up with the club, succeeding Zimbabwean Dave Houghton in the process

Mickey Arthur is set to become the new head of cricket at Derbyshire, signalling the end of his spell in charge of Sri Lanka.

The South African-born coach will take charge of the upcoming two-Test West Indies series, the final act of his two-year deal, before making the switch.

Arthur fills the void left by Dave Houghton, who left Derbyshire at the end of the 2021 season and has since joined Zimbabwe.

Thanks to spells with Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Eastern Cape, Western Australia and Karachi Kings, Arthur arrives with a wealth of coaching experience across the international, domestic and franchise game.

He is charged with turning around the fortunes of Derbyshire, who finished bottom of the LV=Insurance County Championship, ninth in their One-Day Cup group and eighth in the T20 Blast North Group last season.

^{It was a sorry 2021 season at The Incora County Ground}

"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," said Arthur.

"It’s a new challenge and one which I’m eager to get stuck into and lead this club to success. 

“There’s a good squad at Derbyshire and I want us to play a positive style of cricket, we won’t fear any team and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can achieve for our supporters.”

Club chairman Ian Morgan added: “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.

Sad that it is the end of the road with SL after the WI test series!I have loved every minute of coaching this great country!To the players and people of SL a big thank you!
I know SL cricket is in a better place now than when I started!

— Mickey Arthur (@Mickeyarthurcr1) November 17, 2021

“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.”

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