Mickey Arthur to step down as Sri Lanka head coach after West Indies Tests
Mickey Arthur will join Derbyshire after stepping down as Sri Lanka head coach
|| Twiter
Sri Lanka head coach Mickey Arthur has announced that he will step down from the role after the teamâs home Test series against West Indies to be played between November 21 and December 3. Arthur, who'd taken over the role in February 2021, will serve Derbyshire's Head of Cricket next.
Mickey Arthur took over Chandika Hathurusingha as Sri Lanka head coach in February 2020, and will step down from the role after the conclusion two-match Test series against West Indies at home. During his coaching stint, Sri Lanka managed to win an ODI series against India in July earlier this year, their first against the Men in Blue since August 2008. Arthur has had multiple coaching stints with international teams over the years such as South Africa (2005 - 2010), Australia (2010 - 2013), and Pakistan (2016 - 2019).
After the Test series against the Caribbean side, the 53-year-old will take up the role of Derbyshire's Head of Cricket, replacing Dave Houghton.
He expressed his gratitude to the Sri Lanka players and the nation through his Twitter handle.
âSad 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!,â Arthur tweeted.Â
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!
â Mickey Arthur (@Mickeyarthurcr1) November 17, 2021
I know SL cricket is in a better place now than when I started!
Arthur added that he is excited about the new opportunity and will be looking forward to seeing what his team can achieve.Â
"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," the former South African cricketer said.
"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."
Derbyshire Chairman Ian Morgan lauded Arthur, who he thinks is one of the highly regarded coaches in world cricket.
"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," Ian Morgan said.
"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."
