Gavin Hamilton returns to Yorkshire as general manager

Yorkshire have appointed Gavin Hamilton, their former allrounder who played a Test for England in 1999, as their new general manager of cricket. Hamilton effectively replaces Darren Gough, who left his role as director of cricket earlier this year, though he will have oversight of the women's team as well as the men's.

Hamilton, 50, played his only Test in November 1999, a match best remembered for England's top-order collapse to 2 for 4 on the opening morning. He made a pair, bowled 15 wicketless overs, and never played another international match for England - though he had a longer career for Scotland, whom he represented at two ODI World Cups and two World T20s.

At Yorkshire, he scored more than 2000 first-class runs and took over 200 wickets, and was part of the squad that won the County Championship title in 2001. He later played for Durham towards the end of his career.

Since retirement, Hamilton has worked for Caledonian Brewery, the Professional Cricketers' Association and Pure Co, who sell herbal supplements. Hamilton will start his new role on November 1 and will work closely with Ottis Gibson's successor as men's coach, with Essex's Anthony McGrath believed to be the favourite for the role.

"I am delighted to soon be starting my new role at the Yorkshire County Cricket Club, the club where I started my career and enjoyed over a decade playing with some great players," Hamilton said. "This is a fantastic opportunity and my ambition in this role is to support the club in achieving sustainable success and to encourage and improve the players and the teams both on and off the pitch.

"It is clear the club is very ambitious and driven to deliver success for the men and women's teams. I believe that so much of what we need is already in place and I am looking forward to working with a talented staff and passionate board to help them to unlock the potential of this fantastic club."

Sanjay Patel, Yorkshire's interim chief executive, said: "Through the interview process we were impressed by Gavin's cricket knowledge, business acumen and ability to bring people together. We are confident that he will work with the excellent team here at the club to achieve that vision."

Yorkshire's men are closing in on promotion to Division One of the County Championship, while their women's team will play in Tier 2 of the new domestic structure next year before their elevation to Tier 1 in 2026.