Arthur is 'going nowhere' - Derbyshire CEO Duckett

Mickey Arthur is in his third season as Derbyshire head of cricket and is contracted until 2025

Derbyshire chief executive Ryan Duckett has given head of cricket Mickey Arthur his "strong" backing after a disappointing season so far.

Although they have won their first two group games in the One-Day Cup, Derbyshire are bottom of Division Two in the County Championship, having come sixth out of eight last year and been fifth in 2022 - Arthur's first summer in charge.

The Falcons, T20 Blast semi-finalists in 2019, and quarter-finalists in 2023, also failed to reach the knockout stages of this year's competition.

Arthur, 56, said he was "going nowhere" after the heavy Championship defeat by Yorkshire at Chesterfield at the start of the month - and that same stance was taken by Duckett.

"Mickey is fully committed to this project and to bringing success to the county," Duckett told BBC Radio Derby.

"He's as frustrated as anyone with the way our results and performances have gone but there have still been some positives throughout the season."

Duckett also insisted Arthur is a key part of the county's future strategy, following Tuesday's announcement of the signing of Middlesex's Martin Andersson as their first new recruit for 2025.

"We are working very hard with Mickey looking ahead to 2025," said Duckett. "And Mickey is obviously a key part of the cricket committee.

"Hopefully that's a strong enough message to also say he's going nowhere as far as we're concerned."

Former Australia, South Africa and Pakistan coach Arthur was appointed as Derbyshire coach in November 2021 after leaving Sri Lanka.

He signed a three-year contract extension in December 2022 to tie him to the club until the end of the 2025 season.

Ryan Duckett was talking to BBC Radio Derby's Dave Fletcher.