Sussex appoint Matt Walker as new head coach

Matt Walker, the former Kent head coach, has been appointed as Paul Farbrace's successor at Sussex, and will take over the role on November 1, when Farbrace steps up to become Director of Cricket. Walker, 52, was a stalwart for Essex and Kent during a 19-year career, scoring more than 18,000 runs across all formats, before moving into coaching. In 2021, he oversaw Kent's promotion to Division One of the County Championship before guiding them to that season's Vitality Blast title, then the One-Day Cup in 2022. Most recently, he has been a batting coach at Warwickshire. His appointment comes with Sussex in fifth place and challenging hard in a competitive Division One. However, the club is anticipating significant change in the off-season, after being placed into three years of special measures by the ECB for a £1.3 million hole in their finances. Henry Crocombe, the highly regarded fast bowler for Sussex, left Hove earlier this month, despite being offered a new three-year contract. In March, Farbrace stated that it was "now or never" for a talented group of players to win a trophy before their inevitable departure. Nevertheless, Farbrace has agreed to stay at Sussex to ensure continuity for the club during the transition, and he welcomed Walker's arrival as his coaching successor. "We are delighted that Matt has agreed to become our new Head Coach," Farbrace said. "We conducted a thorough three-stage process involving some excellent candidates from across the cricketing world, and Matt consistently impressed throughout. He was the clear choice. "He has an excellent reputation within the game and brings the experience, energy and enthusiasm we're looking for. I can't wait to join him in tackling the challenges ahead of us and building a team that can compete for awards. Walker has also worked as a coach for the England men's team and for Oval Invincibles, which are now MI London, in the Hundred. "I am incredibly honoured and excited to have been given the opportunity to become Head Coach of Sussex Cricket," he said. "Sussex is a Club I have always admired and one with a proud history. The opportunity to work with this group of players and staff, alongside Paul, was one that really excited me. "There is already a strong foundation in place and I'm looking forward to building on that as we strive to help Sussex compete for trophies. I can't wait to get started." Walker's appointment follows Ed Warner's appointment earlier this month as Sussex's new chair. Warner, the former chair of UK Athletics, succeeded Sir Rod Aldridge, the club president, who had been serving in an interim capacity since Jon Filby resigned in February. "Appointing the right Head Coach was one of the most important decisions we had to make," Warner said. "Matt combines an outstanding track record with the leadership, experience and ambition we believe Sussex Cricket needs. "Alongside Paul's continued involvement as Director of Cricket, this appointment gives us a leadership team with the experience, continuity and ambition to help drive Sussex Cricket forward. I'm excited about what Matt, Paul and the wider team can achieve together."