Farbrace leaves Sussex to join Lancashire as director of cricket

Lancashire have appointed 59-year-old Paul Farbrace as their new director of cricket, pulling him away from Sussex where he had been serving as head coach. The move comes only weeks before Farbrace was set to transition into a part-time director of cricket role at Hove, a switch Sussex had announced back in July for a November start.

Instead, Farbrace heads to Old Trafford, where he succeeds Mark Chilton. Chilton stepped down from the director of cricket post last month after holding the role for five years.

Contrasting seasons

The appointment follows a difficult campaign for Lancashire, who finished seventh in Division Two of the County Championship — the club's worst finish in its history, underlining the pressure to refresh the leadership.

By contrast, Farbrace guided Sussex to a third-place finish in Division One this season, a notable achievement given the team started the campaign with a 12-point penalty.

Farbrace's departure leaves Sussex needing to find a replacement for the very role they had lined up for him just months ago.