Alan Richardson: Worcestershire promote ex-seamer to head coach from his role as assistant

Alan Richardson has previously also worked as a coach with England's national team

Worcestershire have promoted Alan Richardson to the role of head coach from his job as assistant.

The 47-year-old replaces Alex Gidman, who stepped down as head coach last month.

Richardson, a former seam bowler who took 254 wickets in 60 first-class matches for Worcestershire as a player, joined the coaching staff at New Road in 2018.

"It's a proud moment for me to take on this role," Richardson said.

Kadeer Ali, elder brother of England all-rounder Moeen, has been promoted from his role as second XI coach to become Richardson's assistant.

The club said their search for a director of cricket remains ongoing.

Worcestershire announced in July they were planning a change of structure, with the club looking to recruit a director of cricket for a new wide-ranging role that will be "responsible for all coaching staff, cricket operations, science and medicine and the academy".

Richardson, who has worked as pace bowling coach with the England national team, spent the later years of his first-class playing career with Worcestershire.

He was voted as one of Wisden's five cricketers of the year in 2012, when he took 73 Championship wickets for the county at the age of 36 to help keep the Pears in Division One.

Ali, 39, a former England Under-19 international who started his playing career with Worcestershire, has worked as second XI coach since 2019.

Paul Pridgeon, chair of Worcestershire's cricket steering group, said Richardson and Ali "both have a deep understanding of the club" and praised them as being "amongst the most respected and progressive coaches around".

"They deserve their chance to excel and build on our impressive foundations, and they will be further assisted by other important hires over the coming months," Pridgeon said.

Ali said he was "excited" by the "wonderful opportunity" with a Worcestershire side that finished fourth in Division Two - 31 points adrift of Middlesex, who took the second promotion spot.