London, 24 October (H.S.): Lancashire County Cricket Club announced on Friday the appointment of club stalwart Steven Croft as its new permanent head coach. Croft takes the helm after a successful tenure as interim coach, during which he guided the team through a significant mid-season revival.
Croft, 41, stepped into the interim role in May following the departure of Dale Benkenstein. At the time, Lancashire had not secured a single victory in the County Championship. Under his leadership, the team orchestrated a remarkable turnaround, ultimately finishing fifth in Division Two and making an impressive run to the T20 Blast Finals Day.
It is a huge honor to be appointed Head Coach of this great Club, Croft stated.
Lancashire has been a massive part of my life, from joining the Academy as a player, to captaining the team, and now taking on this new challenge off the field. I am incredibly proud of how the squad responded during the second half of last season.
A former all-rounder who was part of Lancashire’s 2011 County Championship-winning squad, Croft retired from professional cricket in 2023 after making over 600 appearances for the Red Rose.
Mark Chilton, Lancashire’s Director of Cricket Performance, praised the appointment. We are delighted that Steven has accepted the role on a permanent basis, Chilton said.
He demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities after stepping into a challenging situation. His passion, cricket acumen, and ability to connect with the players make him the ideal candidate for this position.
Croft will now assume daily coaching responsibilities for the first team, supported by assistant coach Will Porterfield, with further additions to the coaching department expected to be announced soon.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
