Durham coach James Franklin to stand down at the end of the season
- Planet Sport writer
- 3 September 2022
James Franklin has hailed his time at Durham as a ‘privilege’ after announcing he is to leave his coaching post at the end of the season.
Franklin, who was tasked with "implementing a high-performance team and strategy" when he arrived at Chester-le-Street as lead high performance coach in 2019, has steered the club, who reached the Royal London One Day Cup final in 2021, through the testing Covid period.
During his tenure, Alex Lees, Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts have made England debuts to continue Durham's tradition of developing international players, while some of the county's most promising youngsters have been elevated to the senior ranks.
Franklin said: "I have enjoyed my time at Durham Cricket. It has been a privilege to work with my fellow support staff and a great group of players.
"The progression of pathway players into the first team and first-team players onto the international stage has been pleasing. The Royal London Cup campaign in 2021 was a particular highlight.
"The time is now right for me to explore other opportunities to develop my coaching career. I would like to thank everyone at Durham Cricket and wish the club every success for the future."
Director of cricket Marcus North added: "We would like to thank James for all of his efforts over the past four years. He has been completely dedicated to the club since his first day in post and shown unwavering commitment to developing the squad.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed working with James and we wish him every success in his future pursuits."
