Alfonso Thomas: Leicestershire name ex-South Africa seamer as permanent head coach
- Published
Alfonso Thomas was first brought to Grace Road in March 2022
Leicestershire have appointed former South Africa seamer Alfonso Thomas as head coach after helping the Foxes to their first piece of silverware for 12 years last season.
Thomas worked as joint interim head coach with former England batter James Taylor last season following Paul Nixon's departure.
Five months after Nixon was put on gardening leave, Thomas takes on the job on a two-year deal.
Taylor will work as his assistant.
Thomas, 46, had previously said he had no desire to become Nixon's permanent replacement - having seen his promotion to a caretaker role continue until the end of the 2023 season.
He had been working as Nixon's assistant before the management shake-up, which also saw Taylor elevated from his role as batting coach.
"It wasn't something that was planned, but after conversations with people close to me and seeing what we started to build last season I thought it'd be a real shame if I didn't give it a go," Thomas said.
"James and I complemented each other really well. We communicated strongly and created an environment for the guys to be the best version of themselves, but also one where they were willing to do it together."
Leicestershire started last season with their place as a first-class county being questioned, having gone winless in the County Championship in 2022.
A solid start with the red ball, which began with a memorable win at Yorkshire, was followed by the surprise departure of Nixon.
Thomas and Taylor, however, built on the early progress made in the four-day format of the game - with Leicestershire eventually finishing fourth in Division Two - and delivered One-Day Cup success for a club starved of silverware.
Leicestershire's director of cricket Claude Henderson praised Thomas for turning "a tough time for the club into a successful summer".
"Along with James and the backroom team, he got the changing room together and organised a high-performance culture," Henderson continued.