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31 minutes ago
Warwickshire have parted company with first-team coach Mark Robinson and replaced him with Ian Westwood in a major reshuffle at Edgbaston.
Former Bears opener Westwood, 42, who had been assistant coach, takes over with immediate effect.
Former Sussex and World Cup-winning England women’s boss Robinson, 58, who was appointed by the Bears in January 2021, leaves “by mutual consent”.
After winning the abbreviated County Championship and Bob Willis Trophy in his first season in charge in the post-Covid 2021 campaign, the Bears have since struggled to match that.
They only narrowly stayed in Division One of the Championship in 2022, and won just one game out of 14 in 2024.
They have also failed badly in the knockout stages in the T20 Blast, reaching the last eight – but each time losing, three of them on home soil at Edgbaston. And social media criticism of Robinson by fans that night in early September had reached toxic levels.
Meanwhile, highly popular Bears fast bowler Olly Hannon-Dalby, 36, has been appointed as the new chairman of the Professional Cricketers Association.
Further changes at Edgbaston
The Bears are currently without a performance director following the departure of Gavin Larsen back to New Zealand in late November – but say they are close to an appointment.
The other changes implemented following a detailed ‘high-performance review’ led by chief executive Stuart Cain include batting coach Tony Frost taking up a new role as head of cricket operations.
This involves ground maintenance at the Bears’ second home in the city at Portland Road, games at their current out-ground, Rugby School, and the Edgbaston indoor cricket centre, as well as the club’s data and analysis department.
Former Lancashire and England spinner Simon Kerrigan moves from the academy to become second XI coach, including ‘specialist spin bowling support’ and they are planning to bring in a men’s batting coach to succeed Frost and Westwood, while Stuart Barnes remains as bowling coach.
Paul Greetham switches from the Bears academy’s high-performance manager to take on the newly created job of head of athlete performance – including medical, physiotherapy, sports psychology, nutrition, and strength and conditioning departments – and will also oversee the Bears county age groups.
The women’s side remains untouched, with Laura Macleod as head of high performance, accompanied by first-team coach Alastair Maiden.
