Moores lands Lancashire role

(GETTY IMAGES)

Former England coach Peter Moores has been confirmed as Lancashire's new head coach.

Moores was sacked by the England and Wales Cricket Board last month following the breakdown of his relationship with national team captain Kevin Pietersen, who also stepped down from his role.

Moores, who forged his reputation in the domestic game during a successful spell with Sussex, has signed a three-year contract with the Red Rose county.

Moores said: "I feel very excited and privileged to be given the opportunity to work for the county I grew up supporting, and look forward to meeting the players and working alongside (director of cricket) Mike Watkinson to bring success to the club."

Macclesfield-born Moores, 46, made himself a strong candidate to succeed Ashes-winning coach Duncan Fletcher with England after steering Sussex to promotion from the second tier of the County Championship in 2002 and then to the championship title itself in 2003.

At Lancashire he will be responsible for first-team affairs and coaching duties.

Lancashire director of cricket Mike Watkinson said: "I'm delighted Peter is joining our cricket management team in this important role.

"I have known him for many years, initially as a player, then in his various coaching roles, and he has the quality and experience to take the first-team squad forward.

"We share many values and beliefs, and I'm looking forward to working closely alongside him to further improve the performance of the professional squad."

Moores was sacked by the England and Wales Cricket Board early last month on his return from the tour of India after his relationship with Pietersen became unworkable.

Lancashire see his appointment as a coup for them and chief executive Jim Cumbes said: "We always knew this position would create a lot of interest, but we could not have envisaged the amount of world-class candidates who applied for the role.

"However, Peter's resume speaks for itself, and what he achieved with Sussex is the envy of all counties. Lancashire is one of the biggest cricket clubs in the world, and success is what our members and supporters demand and long to see."