Anthony McGrath Appointed Essex Director of Cricket

Anthony McGrath has been appointed as Essex's new Director of Cricket, a newly created role that will oversee all aspects of the club's professional cricket operations. McGrath, who has been the men's head coach since 2018, will continue in that role while also taking on the broader responsibilities of the Director of Cricket position.

The appointment is part of a management restructure at Essex following the resignation of chief executive John Stephenson earlier this month. McGrath's promotion follows that of Dan Feist, who has been promoted from operations manager to general manager.

As Director of Cricket, McGrath will be responsible for developing and implementing the club's cricket strategy across all levels, including men's, women's, Academy, and Player Pathway. He will also work closely with the club's new women's head coach, who is yet to be appointed.

Essex is one of the eight inaugural Tier 1 teams in the new women's competition that will launch in 2025. McGrath's appointment as Director of Cricket will ensure that the club has a clear and consistent approach to cricket across all its representative teams.

McGrath has been a key figure in Essex's recent success, helping the club win the County Championship and Vitality Blast double in 2019, as well as the Bob Willis Cup in 2020. He has also been instrumental in the development of young players such as Dan Lawrence and Matt Critchley.

McGrath said he was "honoured" to take up the new role. "The club gave me the chance to become a Head Coach for the first time in 2018 and the backing I've received has been fundamental to our success," he said. "I've got a trusted network of exceptional coaches, who always go above and beyond to deliver elite performance. This is now an opportunity for us to shape the strategic vision of cricket played by men, women, boys and girls in the county."

Essex Chair, Anu Mohindru, said the club was "delighted" to appoint McGrath to the new role. "We have achieved sustained success during his tenure as Head Coach, including the memorable and as yet unmatched achievement of winning the Championship and the T20 in the same season in 2019," she said. "This will allow the Club to create a clear identity and playing style across all our representative teams, and I look forward to seeing every one of those teams continue to flourish under his expanded leadership."

Tags: #EssexCricket, #AnthonyMcGrath, #DirectorOfCricket, #CricketManagement, #Women'sCricket