Former Sussex cricket coach given second shot at England job

The former Sussex cricket coach Peter Moores has been named as the new England coach today (Saturday 19 April).

It will be his second stint in charge of the national team after a two-year spell that ended when he fell out with the batsman Kevin Pietersen.

Moores, 51, the former Sussex wicketkeeper and captain, guided the Hove side to their first County Championship as coach in 2003.

He became the England coach in 2007 but he was sacked after his spat with Pietersen.

Within weeks he took over the reins at Lancashire and guided them to the County Championship – the first coach to achieve the feat with two sides.

He pipped current Sussex coach Mark Robinson to the post with England, taking over from Andy Flower who quit after the 5-0 Ashes whitewash in Australia.

He said: “I am very excited about the prospect of returning to a role I have done before and to building a strong relationship with Alastair Cook and the rest of the players and staff.

Peter Moores

“In any time of change there comes opportunity and this is one I can’t wait to get stuck into.”

England Cricket managing director Paul Downton said: “Peter has a great reputation around the world as an outstanding coach.

“He will return to the role as England head coach with a great deal more experience and understanding of the challenges that the role presents.

“There is no doubt that he is the leading English coach of his generation and I believe that this is his time.

“His domestic credentials are beyond reproach having won the County Championship at Sussex and then repeating the feat at Lancashire, whose 2011 triumph was their first for 77 years.

“He was also the lead at the National Cricket Performance Centre at Loughborough between 2005 and his appointment as England coach in 2007.

“I was hugely impressed by his vision for the future of the England team and I am looking forward to working with him in the years to come.

“It was a really difficult decision to make as we had an outstanding field but the panel were unanimous in the choice of Peter and I know that support will be echoed around the counties.”