Warwickshire settle on Gavin Larsen as new performance director

GEORGE DOBELL: The appointment completes a process that was initiated when Paul Farbrace stood down as director of cricket at the end of the season and has dragged on far longer than expected

Gavin Larsen is to be announced as Warwickshire's new performance director.

Larsen, who is currently New Zealand's chief selector, played eight Tests and 121 ODIs for his homeland. He is also a former chief executive of Cricket Wellington.

A right-arm medium pacer, Larsen was part of two Black Caps sides that reached World Cup semi-finals in 1992 and 1999.

The appointment completes a process that was initiated when Paul Farbrace stood down as director of cricket at the end of the season and has dragged on far longer than expected.

Paul Farbrace stood down at the end of the 2022 season (Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)

The club thought they had found the right individual back in December but Simon Insley, the current New Zealand performance manager, subsequently declined the offer.

Ashley Giles, the former England coach and director of cricket, had previously been informed was overlooked for the role following two previous spells at the club in a similar capacity.

Mark Robinson's side are looking to improve upon last season's eighth-place finish in County Championship Division One, which saw them need final-day heroics to avoid relegation.

On the field, the playing group has been improved by the return of Moeen Ali and the arrival of Ed Barnard and Chris Rushworth. Pakistan's Hasan Ali and Glenn Maxwell of Australia are part of the overseas contingent.

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