DURHAM have appointed Ryan Campbell as their new head coach, with the Australian replacing James Franklin, who left in the latter half of last season.

Campbell, who has previously coached internationally with the Netherlands, joins Durham on a three-year deal that will see him coach the professional squad until at least the end of the 2025 season.

After a successful four-year tenure as the Dutch national head coach, the 50-year-old leaves the Netherlands in a positive place, having guided them to 11th in the ICC ODI rankings in world cricket during this spell in charge.

The Western Australian led the Dutch side to qualification for the 2021 T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, and also coached the Netherlands during the 2022 World Cup as they finished fourth in their group, automatically qualifying them for the 2024 edition in the West Indies and USA.

Prior to joining the Netherlands, Campbell was a batting coach with Hong Kong’s national side, playing an important role in their T20 international development.

As a player, he represented Australia twice in ODI cricket, however his main impact came for Western Australia where he represented the state for a decade as a wicketkeeper-batter, scoring 11 centuries and 35 half-centuries in first-class cricket.

“I am extremely honoured to be appointed Durham’s head coach and I can’t wait to get started,” said Campbell. “I will be working with some of England’s best cricketers as well as a young squad full of talent and I hope to bring an attacking, no-fear style of cricket to the club. I also look forward to working with Marcus North to lead Durham to future success.”

Durham’s director of cricket, Marcus North, said: “Following an extensive recruitment process, it became clear that Ryan was the best fit for Durham and the county.

“Ryan comes to Durham with an excellent reputation following a successful period as the Netherlands head coach. I look forward to working with him and continue to build on the foundations laid during the past four years with this exciting group of players.”

Campbell will officially start his duties with Durham at the start of the new year, and Durham chief executive, Tim Bostock, added: “We’re delighted that Ryan has agreed to become our new head coach and we are hugely excited to welcome him to Durham in the new year.

“He joins us with a wealth of experience and knowledge, and I believe he is the perfect fit for Durham. Ryan is the right person to move us forward in our next chapter as we build on James Franklin’s work at Durham over the last four seasons, hopefully putting us in the best position to challenge for silverware over the next few years.”