PROFILE

A wicketkeeper who played 40 first-class and 28 List A matches for home county Kent and Middlesex during a playing career spanning 1987 to 1995, Paul Farbrace is now one of the game’s most respected coaches. 

Farbrace has led the England under 19s team, coaching a number of current White Rose players along the way, the England women’s team and Kent’s first-team most recently. He also held the role of assistant coach for the Sri Lankan national team between 2007 and 2009. 

Upon leaving Canterbury, Farbrace was appointed to the role of second XI coach at Headingley prior to the 2012 season as part of the coaching staff restructure that brought Jason Gillespie back to the club as head of the first team. 

He had never met Gillespie prior to his arrival, for example, but the pair quickly forged a strong partnership which helped the players flourish in both white and coloured clothing during their first season. 

Farbrace was the man praised for improving Yorkshire’s fielding, a major factor in their County Championship promotion and run to the Champions League t20 group stage. 

Whilst in his role with Sri Lanka, he was on the team bus attacked by terrorists in Lahore in March of 2009, receiving a shrapnel wound to his right arm. 

1987 - Made his first-class debut for Kent against the touring Pakistanis in May before scoring 75 from number ten in the order during the first innings of only his second Championship appearance in July, against Yorkshire at Canterbury. He shared a last-wicket stand of 77 with the Deadly Derek Underwood. 

1990 - Moved to Middlesex ahead of the new season and scored a first-class career best 79 on debut against Cambridge University. Played seven Championship matches as his new county won the title. 

1991 - The only full first-class season of his career saw him take 46 catches and account for eight stumpings for the Lord’s outfit. He did not play a Championship match after the end of that campaign. 

1992 - Played two first-class matches against the Oxbridge Universities. 

1995 - Having not played a Championship match since 1991 and no first-class match since 1992, he  played another couple of fixtures against the Oxbridge Universities alongside four List A outings - his first since ’91. He retired at the end of the summer. 

2000 - Having moved into coaching at the age of 28 and led England’s age-group cricketers at under 15s and 17s during the few years previous - where he first came across Andrew Gale - he was appointed the coach of the England women’s team. 

2003 - Led an England under 19s squad, including Gale, Tim Bresnan and Joe Sayers, on tour to Australia in January and February. 

2004-2006 - Having returned to Kent as the director of their Academy, he played some second XI cricket as captain to help nurture their young players in the heat of the battle. In matches allowing 12-men, he often did not bat and never bowled. 

2007 - Appointed as the assistant to Australian Trevor Bayliss with the Sri Lankan national team in July, going to the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa in September. 

2009 - Having been wounded in the Lahore terrorist attack in March, he helped Sri Lanka reach the World Twenty20 final in England in June. Announced he would be stepping down from his role in August to take over as Kent’s head coach the following summer. 

2010-2011 - After Kent suffered Championship relegation during his first season in charge, they failed to return to the top flight the following year. He resigned from his post in September and joined Yorkshire in November. 

2012 - Made an immediate impact at Headingley with both the second and first teams. His role in improving the squad’s fielding abilities should not be underestimated.