Head coach White leaves Hampshire after six years to be with family

Having initially joined the club as assistant coach in 2012, Craig White made his way up the ranks to take on the top coaching job in November 2016 following Dale Benkenstein's exit

Craig White has left his role as head coach at Hampshire to spend more time with his family.

The county confirmed the departure of the former England international on Tuesday after six years at the Ageas Bowl.

In a statement, White said that the decision to walk away had been a difficult one but that now was the "right time".

Having initially joined the club as assistant coach in 2012, White made his way up the ranks to take on the top coaching job in November 2016 following Dale Benkenstein's exit.

His reign reached a peak this summer when Hampshire won their first trophy in six seasons, claiming the Royal London One-Day Cup with victory over Kent at Lord's.

^{Craig White has left Hampshire}

"I’ve had a fantastic six years at Hampshire and I’m proud of what we’ve been able to achieve as a group in that time," White said.

"Whilst it’s certainly been a tough decision and one that hasn’t been made lightly, spending long periods of time away from my family has become more and more difficult and I feel that now is the right time to return to be with them on a more permanent basis.

"I’d like to thank everyone at the club for their support throughout the last six years, from the players to the coaching staff, members and supporters, and I wish them the very best for the future.”

COUNTY HUB: Your one-stop shop for English domestic cricket

Hampshire say the process of appointing a replacement for White will begin "in due course".

Director of cricket Giles White said: "Craig has been an integral part of the club since joining us in 2012 ... and his dedication in that time has been outstanding.

"We understand his decision to step down and have been aware of the difficulties of being away from his family.

"On behalf of the club I’d like to thank Craig for all the hard work and incredible contributions during his time here, he will be missed on both a personal and professional level. We wish him and his family well for the future."