Sri Lanka men’s cricket team’s head coach Mickey Arthur will step down from his post after the upcoming Test series against West Indies, slated to begin this month in the island nation.
Arthur will now take serve as the Head of Cricket Derbyshire following the conclusion of the two-Test series.
The 53-year-old former South African cricketer had took over as the chief coach of Sri Lanka in February 2020 when the island nation was going through a rough phase however, the team has shown signs of improvement since then. Sri Lanka won five games and lost three in the just concluded T20 World Cup in the UAE.
Taking to Twitter, Arthur said: “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!”
Commenting on his upcoming role, he said: “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.”
“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,” he added.
On the other hand, Derbyshire Chairman, Ian Morgan said: “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. 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,” he added.
The first of the two Test series between host Sri Lanka and West Indies will begin at Galle begins on November 21.
The second Test, which will be Arthur’s final game with Sri Lanka, is scheduled to begin on November 29 at the same venue.
Arthur will now replace Dave Houghton at Derbyshire. Houghton, the former Zimbabwe captain, had earlier thsi year left the club to take up a position as coaching manager with Zimbabwe Cricket.
Arthur, a renouned coach, has worked with the national men’s teams of Australia, South Africa and Pakistan, apart from Sri Lanka.