Kent County Cricket Club has announced the appointment of Simon Cook as their new director of cricket. Cook, who currently serves as the club’s bowling coach, will take over from Paul Downton, who has announced his retirement after years of service in the role, at the start of October.
Cook, aged 46, played for Kent from 2005 to 2012 before returning to the club as a coach in 2019.
In between, he worked as head coach and high-performance manager for Hong Kong.
Cook, who has made over 200 appearances for Kent across all formats and won two trophies, has been instrumental in overseeing the specialist fast-bowling program at the age-group level and with the academy as the lead bowling coach.
He also served as interim head coach for the One-Day Cup campaign in 2022, leading Kent to victory in the competition, and again this year while Matt Walker was working with Oval Invincibles at the Hundred.
Kent’s cricket chair, Simon Philip, said that Cook was the outstanding candidate throughout the rigorous selection process.
“Simon provided a compelling and clear vision of how he wants the club to move forward from the pathway to the first XI, allied to a very strong view of the brand of cricket that he wants the club to play,” Philip added.
“His existing knowledge as a player and coach will prove invaluable in delivering his vision. I’m sure that all members and supporters will welcome Simon to his new role.”
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Meanwhile, Glamorgan County Cricket Club has announced the departure of Hugh Morris, the former England managing director, as the chief executive after ten years in the role.
Morris, who was capped three times by England, spent his entire playing career with Glamorgan before moving to the ECB as technical director, followed by serving as chief executive and then managing director.
He returned to Glamorgan soon after in a dual role as CEO and director of cricket.
Morris, aged 59, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2022 and said that it is time for him to spend more time with his family, enjoy other pastimes, and focus on his ongoing treatment.
Richard Thompson, ECB chair, praised Morris for his extraordinary service to cricket in England and Wales, both on and off the field, and for his outstanding contribution to making cricket the national summer sport in Wales.
