Sussex cricket head coach Paul Farbrace aiming to win trophies in 2023 season

The new head coach believes the Sharks should be aiming to win trophies in this domestic campaign – which begins on Thursday, April 6.

Farbrace said: “We have a lot of very talented players here. We don’t want to talk about winning three of four games this year. We have been very open with the players about promotion in Championship cricket and getting to the T20 Finals Day.”

Farbrace was appointed head coach in December, replacing Ian Salisbury, following a disappointing 2022 season.

The 55-year-old was an integral influence as England's assistant coach under Trevor Bayliss from 2015 to 2019, was also Sri Lanka's head coach when they won the World T20 in 2014.

Farbrace spoke to the media last week ahead of the new season about the three pillars of the Sussex Cricket strategy for the next four to five years.

He explained: “We want to develop a spine of home-grown players that the supporters can associate with. We also want to develop players that can play for England at all levels, and having nine players currently representing England from the Young Lions to the senior team is a great thing for us.

“The third part, which is the shop window, is to win trophies. In the history of this club we have won 13 trophies since 1839. Winning trophies is not a given, it is not something we are going to automatically get, but is something we have to get right.”

In order to achieve what Farbrace is demanding, the club will have to drastically change their fortunes out in the middle.

Sussex have won three County Championship games in the last three years, finishing second bottom in Division Two last season, with one win in their 14 games.

The Sharks also failed to make it out of the Southern Group in the T20 blast and agonisingly lost their One Day Cup semi-final to Lancashire.

HAVE YOU READ THIS?

Sussex get pre-cricket season boost as Haines and Ibrahim sign long deals

Ibrahim leads way as Sussex cricketers shine on international stage

Steve Smith to Sussex: It’s great for the county – and the county game

Farbrace said the recent run of results had not been acceptable, but insisted that winning promotion was still achievable with this group of players.

The Sussex coach said: “That’s the one thing we have to get right [winning games]. Three championship wins in the last three years is just not acceptable, if we want to be the club that we want to be, which is getting promoted to Division One and getting up there and having a genuine chance of winning.

“We need to stop talking about a group of talented young players. We need to start talking about good players with high-level expectations to win.

“We don’t want to talk about winning three of four games this year. We have been very open with the players about promotion and getting to the T20 finals day.

“This is achievable with the players that we have. There is no reason why we shouldn't be pushing to get promoted.

“I know it sounds punchy and a bit deluded, but if we start the season by saying let's see how far we can go and if we can win a couple of games, then there is no point in turning up. This group of players have a fantastic opportunity to do something really special.”

Sussex begin their County Championship campaign at The 1st Central County Ground against Durham on Thursday, April 6.