John Simpson and Tymal Mills: Sussex name England pair as captains for 2024

John Simpson has joined Sussex from Middlesex, while Tymal Mills replaces Ravi Bopara as T20 captain

England players John Simpson and Tymal Mills have been named as Sussex captains ahead of the 2024 season.

Wicketkeeper-batter Simpson has joined from Middlesex and has initially been given the job for the first seven County Championship matches.

Fast bowler Mills will be skipper for the T20 Blast - unless he is picked by England for the T20 World Cup.

"If he is, then we will reassess that situation," head coach Paul Farbrace told the Sussex website.

Mills, 31, has played 16 T20 internationals and taken 234 wickets overall in the game's shortest format, playing in domestic competitions all round the world.

Simpson, 35, made three appearances for England in 50-over matches in 2021 and has scored more than 9,000 runs in first-class cricket, including 10 centuries, and taken 626 catches.

Explaining why he has not yet been given the red-ball captaincy for the entire season, Farbrace said: "He wants to make sure he's absolutely the right person to be captain.

"He also wants to make sure it allows him to be the best player he can be, both as a keeper and a batter.

"It's a very sensible decision and there's a natural break after seven games in the Championship anyway."

Farbrace has set twin goals of promotion from Division Two of the Championship, having finished third last summer, and qualification for T20 Blast Finals Day.

They will begin the new season with a home Championship fixture against Northamptonshire, who were relegated in 2023, on 5 April.