Steven Croft joins Lancashire coaching staff for One-Day Cup

Croft will work alongside Graham Onions and Karl Krikken in coaching the side but will be available for selection if required

Steven Croft will serve on Lancashire's coaching staff during the One-Day Cup as the club looks to blood a number of young players.

The batting allrounder will be available for selection but will primarily work alongside acting head coach Graham Onions and Karl Krikken in coaching the side.

Head coach Glen Chapple and assistant coach Carl Crowe will be absent due to their involvement in The Hundred.

The 38-year-old, who signed a one-year contract extension with Lancashire ahead of the 2023 campaign, has scored 4,820 runs at 38.25 and taken 66 wickets in 174 List A appearances.

^{Graham Onions will serve as Lancashire head coach during the One-Day Cup [Nathan Stirk/Getty Images]}

^{Lancashire reached the final in 2022 [Gareth Copley/Getty Images]}

Last season, he scored 385 runs at 64.16, including one century and two half-centuries, as Lancashire reached the final in 2022 – only Keaton Jennings scored more runs for the Red Rose.

Lancashire head into the One-Day Cup with a severely depleted squad.

No fewer than seven players have been signed up for The Hundred, including allrounder Luke Wells, who contributed 355 runs and nine wickets to Lancashire's run to the final last season, while Saqib Mahmood is sidelined by injury.

Rob Jones, who recently signed a three-year contract with Worcestershire, has been sent out on loan to New Road for the duration of the 50-over competition while fellow departee Matt Parkinson will represent Kent ahead of his switch to the county at the end of the season.

Director of cricket performance, Mark Chilton, said: "We have an exciting squad of players available to us during the competition, players who have been impressing and deserve their opportunity to step up and show what they can do in the first team.

"These are players that Graham and Karl know extremely well from spending time with them regularly and they are well placed to lead the side, particularly after last summer's success of reaching the Royal London Cup final under their leadership.

"This competition also provides Steven with a brilliant opportunity to expand his coaching experience and work with players on a day-to-day basis as he plans for the next stage of his career in cricket."