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Ex-England Womens Head Coach Robinson Returns To Sussex As Director Of Cricket

Brighton Aldridge Community Academy: Mark Robinson, who guided England to winning the 2017 Womens ODI World Cup title at home, has made a return to Sussex, the club he led to two County Championship crowns, as its new director of cricket. Robinson will take up the part-time role originally earmarked for Paul Farbrace, who left for the full-time director of cricket job at Lancashire a few weeks ago. Robinson was most recently head coach at Warwickshire, steering them to the County Championship and the Bob Willis Trophy wins in 2021, before leaving Edgbaston in early 2025. Since then, he has been director of cricket at the Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (BACA), and he will continue in that post alongside his role at Sussex. Im delighted to be back at Hove in a position where I can play my part in helping Sussex continue to be one of the most respected Clubs in the Country. We have taken some hits in the last year and, as a club, we still have some work to be done, and I am determined to contribute to ensure a bright future here at Sussex. I first joined this club in 1997, just after the revolution following the loss of most of its senior players and captain. I was just one small building block that helped build an era of unqualified success. Trophies won and England players and coaches produced. Work has already started to ensure that we do that again. This club has always been pioneering, starting as the first club to get permanent floodlights right up to the present day, with the Breaking Boundaries initiative which invests in State Schools cricket. Sussex is a special club, and Im delighted to be back, Robinson said in a statement on Thursday. Robinsons links with Sussex go back a long way. He first played for the club and later succeeded Peter Moores as head coach, a job he held from 2005 to 2015. He won back-to-back Championship titles in 2006 and 2007 before moving to the England womens set-up in 2015. The flexibility of my role also allows me to still be hands-on at BACA. So many of our cricket students come from all over the county and show such dedication, some leaving as early as 6.30 am, many catching two trains to get into school to follow their dreams. Its lovely, and means a lot to me, that I can continue to help influence the next generation of male and female cricketers for both the school and at Sussex, added Robinson. The appointment comes in the same week Sussex named Beth Barrett-Wild, the tournament director of this years Womens T20 World Cup in England, as their new chief executive officer (CEO). She will take over from interim CEO Alex Paterson on January 1, as the club tries to rebuild its finances after being placed in special measures earlier this year. Matt Walker, Sussex mens head coach, said, Im absolutely delighted to welcome Mark back to Sussex as our new Director of Cricket. Mark brings a wealth of experience, outstanding knowledge of the game and a proven track record of developing players and building successful environments. He understands what it takes to be successful at the highest level, and Im really looking forward to working closely with him as we continue to drive the club forward, develop our talent and build a successful future for Sussex Cricket. Alex Paterson, Sussexs acting CEO, added, Mark knows Sussex Cricket inside out, having successfully played and coached here for more than 15 years, including winning the County Championship twice. He understands what it takes to be successful at the highest level, and Im really looking forward to working closely with him as we continue to drive the club forward, develop our talent and build a successful future for Sussex Cricket. Also Read: Special Cricket Stories Article Source: IANS