Steven Croft, a former captain of Lancashire, has committed to a T20-only playing contract through 2024 and will become a full-time member of the coaching staff.
Croft, 39, who was a member of the staff for the One-Day Cup last season, will start his 21st season as a player while advancing in his coaching career.
Along with officially retiring from first-class and List A cricket, he also ended his red-ball career, which culminated in his 2011 County Championship winning runs for Lancashire. Croft amassed nearly 10,000 runs in 212 first-class appearances and another 4,800 in one-day cricket.
“This is something that has been an ambition of mine for a while, when I started to think about my post playing career, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to start my coaching career with Lancashire – a club which has given me and my family so much over the last 20 years,” Croft stated.
With so many excellent players vying for spots, it seems appropriate to end my first-class and List A cricket career. However, I’ll come back to support the squad in T20 cricket the following season, prepared and eager.
“I have some amazing memories from my playing career – topped by winning the County Championship in 2011 – and it was an honour to captain the Red Rose for a couple of seasons too.”
Croft, who led the team to Finals Day in 2022 and won the T20 Blast with Lancashire in 2015, served as captain of the team from 2016 to 2018. In the format, he has amassed over 5000 runs and taken 78 wickets.
“Steven has been a wonderful servant to Lancashire Cricket for over 20 years now and we are delighted that will continue, albeit in a different capacity, as he moves into a coaching role with the club,” stated Mark Chilton, Lancashire’s director of cricket performance.
“Steven has been working on this for a time, and before joining the coaching team for this summer’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup, he has coached with our Academy and age group players in recent years.
“He will also continue to be available in T20 cricket next season and I know that he will be keen to continue contributing towards wins as a player.”
