Kim Barnett: Ex-England batsman named Derbyshire director of cricket in restructure

Kim Barnett made four Test appearances for England between August 1988 and July 1989

Former England batsman Kim Barnett has been named Derbyshire director of cricket in the latest coaching restructure at the Division Two club.

The 56-year-old ex-Derbyshire skipper leaves his post as club president to take the newly created job.

Graeme Welch left as elite performance director in June, having been appointed following a management revamp in 2014.

"We have not achieved enough success in recent years. We're determined to change this," said Barnett.

"With a strong captain and players technically sound and tactically clued up, we will be in a great position for next season."

Derbyshire finished bottom of Division Two, having failed to win a County Championship match in 2016.

A review of the "cricket pathway to the first XI" was undertaken, with a new coaching structure put in place alongside a "targeted" recruitment drive for experience senior players, which will be funded by savings made by revamping the coaching team.

Barnett will head a smaller backroom staff "streamlined" and aided by player-coaches, who will work "occasionally" with specialised "world class" coaches and cricketers.

The new structure sees the post of first XI support coach and Twenty20 specialist coach created - neither of which have been filled yet.

"The Elite Performance model regrettably has not produced the results that we have been hoping for," Derbyshire chairman Chris Grant told the club website.

"We have been spending over 20% of our overall cricket budget on coaching and this new model will achieve a better balance between our coaching and playing budget."